You cast a shadow

YOU CAST A SHADOW

 

The things you have heard me say . . . entrust to reliable men who will
also be qualified to teach others (2 Tim. 2:2 NIV)

 

I once rode on a plane with two young men who had never flown before. They were excited and nervous — straining to see all they could. The boy seated next to the window exclaimed, "Look! There is our shadow!" Gliding along the landscape beneath us was the shadow of the plane. The shadow was there all the time, but not always visible from the plane. When you are in a plane, you don't usually think about the shadow the plane casts on the ground.

 

You may not always be aware of your influence, but it is always there. Often, others are more conscious of it than you are. You can't help casting a shadow, and you cannot prevent your influence from falling upon others.

 

The godly influence of David Livingstone brought Henry Stanley to faith in God after he had lived with the missionary for some time. A Christian father was surprised when his grown children told him how they had "tuned him out" when he lectured them about honesty, truthfulness and other Christian principles. What really helped them learn those truths was seeing them demonstrated in their parents’ lives day after day.

 

Let's make sure that the shadow of our influence is positive for good and for God.

 

Life response: Is my influence casting a positive "shadow"?