Be A Godly Influence In Your Community

22 – Prov. 29:2 – Influence community – “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” (NIV)

In the City of Cypress we are fortunate to have some “righteous” leaders. Our city council was one of just a small number of government bodies in the area to vote in favor of displaying the words “In God We Trust.” We need to support and encourage and lend a helping hand to our public servants. We need to be “good neighbors” in the community where God has placed us. As you get to know others through serving them you can build relationships that will become bridges for sharing Godly counsel.

It is easy to drift along and be swept away in the currents of secular society. It is easy to make excuses and say that you are too busy to get involved. But it takes courage to swim upstream. King Asa of Judah could have drifted with the current. But the Bible tells us that “he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land” … and … “he repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord's temple.” Asa bucked the trend. He went against popular opinion and took Godly action. This action caused Judah to take “an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.”

Hebrews Chapter 11 is the “Hall of Faith” in the Bible. These men and women demonstrated their trust and reliance on the Lord through their words and also through their actions. They were also examples of courage. It took courage for Noah to keep building the ark. No doubt his neighbors scoffed at him and tried to discourage him. It took courage as well as faith for Rahab to hide the two spies. She would have been killed if they had been discovered.

How can you demonstrate faith and courage and be part of the Cypress Church vision and influence your community? Attend a city council meeting, express your opinion about legislation, come to a Chamber of Commerce networking event, join the Cypress Volunteers in Policing. Go over to the Senior Center and take part in the Meals on Wheels program. Bring some unexpected desserts to the police department or to the fire house – show our public servants that you care about them. Help out at your child’s school. Organize your small group to do a community service project, clean one of our city parks, go out with the Knights of the Holy Grill and serve others in our area.

Would you like to see times of rejoicing in your community? Would you like to have rest on every side? As you pray to the Lord today, ask Him what He wants you to do – right now, this minute – to be a Godly influence in the lives of everyone you meet TODAY.