Impression or Impact?
We have been working for close to a year to finish off our basement. It was great to reconnect with our friend Brian Maesberg who is coming to help finish out our project. The Maseberg family attended our church in Littleton and we have known them for over 20 years. Brian helped us with some work in our home in Lakewood and was helpful when we first purchased our home in Fort Collins.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 1:1-4 HCSB
There is a quote that I was sure I heard years ago from my friend Dick Foth. However, I did find it attributed to the late Howard Hendricks, famed professor from Dallas Seminary. It goes like this, “You can impress people from a distance, but you can only impact them up close.”
I believe Paul understood this dynamic. Paul was a man who knew how to communicate with words. He could debate with the Greeks in Athens on the Areopagus. He could stand his ground in defense of his life and the gospel before religious and political leaders. Paul knew how to communicate in written words as well. Even then he had his critics as any well known person does. Even some among the Corinthians said, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” (2 Corinthians 10:10 NIV)
Perhaps some of that criticism was out of jealousy, perhaps it was due to the fact that in Corinth, Paul decided not to “bowl people over” with his power words and sharp intellect. If he had, his spoken words would have better matched his written words. However, the result would have been people more impressed with Paul than God.
Paul knew the tendency even in ancient days for people to be followers of personalities. He addresses this in his letter when he points out, “Each of you says, “I’m with Paul,” or “I’m with Apollos,” or “I’m with Cephas,” or “I’m with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:12 HCSB) In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul finds the need to defend himself in relationship to some “super apostles” who were having influence over the Corinthians. (2 Corinthians 11:5)
Paul lived among the Corinthians for 18 months. This was probably the longest time he spent in any one city outside of his own town or area. Paul took a different approach in this city. He was not just trying to make an “impression” he was trying to make an “impact.” As a result, his life style and approach was just to, “know Christ and Him crucified.” He kept his message simple.
The lifestyle he lived was “in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.” His reliance was not on words but, “with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit.” Paul’s desire was not for the people to be “impressed” with him, but to be “impacted” by Christ and the gospel and the power of the Spirit. Paul’s familiar statement certainly applies to those in Corinth, “You know how we lived among you for your sake.“ (1 Thessalonians 1:5 NIV; Acts 20:18)
The question that faces us all is “Are drawing people closer to Christ through the way we speak and live?” That was Paul’s desire and it is a good example to follow.
Prayer for today… “Lord don’t let me settle for making an “impression” on others. Help me today to live in a way that impacts people so they see a “great God” who loves them and wants to change their life. Help me to connect in a meaningful way with people, but may they always see “Christ in me.”