"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a
friend." (Proverbs 27:17 NLT)
An old African proverb says, "If you think
you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with
a mosquito."
But I had.
My maternal grandmother, Grandmammy, lived in
an old farm house on highway 210 near Vance, SC. During the long sultry
summers in South Carolina, staying with her meant raising the windows so
air could creep in through the screens. The only problem is that her
screens often had small rips in them--which let in mosquitoes.
Spending the night
with this grandmother meant fighting a battle. Before I lay down, she
would come into the bedroom with a can of Raid and spray around the
screens. Then, as dusk neared, a mosquito truck would amble down the
highway, spraying its nosehair-curling poison.
In spite of all these efforts, no sooner had I
lain in the bed than I’d hear that all-familiar sound. A mosquito
singing. Since the room was pitch dark, I couldn’t see her; I could only
swipe, hoping I’d kill that female who wanted to suck my blood and make
me itch.
So the old African
proverb was right. I’d spent the night with mosquitoes, and they had a
pervading influence. They can turn a night in a hot room--or a camping
trip--into a nightmare. The spread of their influence causes us to do
any number of things to ward off what they attempt to do. Just think of
all the money we spend trying to squash their influence.
But influence
doesn’t have to be negative. Wise King Solomon says a friend can sharpen
another friend, just as iron sharpens iron.
God gives me the privilege of being a positive
influence on almost one hundred Middle School students five days each
week. I don’t take the responsibility lightly. Hopefully, my influence
will motivate them.
I also have the
privilege of influencing hundreds of people worldwide through the
writing ministry God has entrusted to me. I don’t take that for granted
either.
These are my areas
of the world God wants me to sharpen. You have areas too. Just like the
mosquito, God wants us to buzz into the areas He has planned for us,
influencing the people in our circle in a way that points them to Christ
and helps them become more like the person He wants them to be. The ways
we can do it are numerous, but God will help us succeed if we ask Him.
Find your world of influence, and buzz
throughout it.
Martin Wiles
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.