subject: How To Influence Others, Part 5 [print this page] Talking to God vsTalking to God vs. Others
With this point, I will first discuss the negative aspecttalking to others. This is simply another way to say gossip; and in this context, we are referring specifically about talking to others about our leaders. Jude 1:16 says, These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having mens persons in admiration because of advantage. So, we see that when people talk to others about issues concerning their leaders, they are simply walking after their own lusts. This type of behavior is no different in that sense than drug use. A person may use gossip to escape reality and make themselves feel better just as they may use drugs to the same end. We also see here that people are driven to gossip about their leaders to try and appear confident or competent. Again, this is done to advance themselves, but it is not reality, and it certainly is not a way to effectively influence ones leaders. As a matter of fact, our leaders typically know a lot more about what we say about them than we would think; so we must be very cautious with what we communicate to others about them.
Talking to God is the most important behavior in which we must engage if we want to beneficially influence our leaders. This is the single step that ties the entire Law of Influence together. You may ask, Why do I need to talk to God if I already influence my leadership with my submission, obedience, motivation, and loyalty? Well, it is because all of those other behaviors (submission, obedience, etc.) DO NOT influence your leaders nearly as much as they influence God. To explain what I mean, let us return to our key verse, Proverbs 21:1. Our paraphrase says, The thoughts, desires, and feelings of our leaders are in the power of the LORD, as channels of irrigation: he bends them in whatever way He desires. You see, the Bible says the leaders heart is in the hand of the Lord, so if we want to reach the heart of our leaders and influence them, we must beseech the Lord to make it happenfor He is the only One who has the ability to alter the kings (our leaders) heart! In other words, we must convince God that He should bend and angle our leaders hearts to allow us to influence them.
It is absolutely necessary to talk to Godto use God as the intermediaryif we want to influence our leaders. Without talking to God, having an influence upon leadership is a rare and unlikely possibility. However, it is also largely futile to talk to God asking him to allow you to influence your leaders if you do not first engage in the other four behaviors necessarysubmission, obedience, motivation, and loyalty. I Timothy 2:1-2 says, I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. So, we see that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in godliness and honesty by obeying them that have the rule over us. And when we are unable to do so, or do not feel we can do it much longerwhen we are struggling to submit, obey, motivate, and be loyal to our leaders, we are left with one resource: our most powerful tooltalking to God in intercessory prayer. I exhort you to pray for your leaders. This is especially important if you are at odds with them. Supplicate God to help you and intercede on your behalf. Finally, thank God for your leaders no matter whether they are good or badwhy? For the kings heart is in the hand of the Lordhe turneth it whithersoever he will.
