The first year of my Christian walk I was bound and determined to convert every unsaved soul that crossed my path. As a “newbie” I only knew that I wanted everyone I came in contact with to experience the explosion of joy, peace and hope I felt in my heart every day.

When you’re that green you don’t realize that sometimes you’ve taken the whole mission into your own hands and as a result leave the power of the Holy Spirit at the side lines.  You gear yourself up with the Armor of God you read all about in the Bible, you pray and promise God that you’re going out into the world to tackle and take names. In other words, your “gung-ho” for the cause. Little did I know I was forgetting the most important element of the battle…The “G” Force a.k.a The GOD Force.  There I was kickin’ and karate choppin’ my way down this spiritual path and I can only wonder if The Lord was standing on the sidelines shaking His divine head wondering what in the world I was going to do out in that big, dark, scary world with a water pistol when I should have been carrying a Holy spirit loaded Mack 10.  I wanted to be a “mover and a changer” not just a “sayer and a prayer”.  After about a month of this Karate Kid approach the Lord slowed me down and gently shared His heart with me. I could be a “mover and a changer” but sometimes the approach is more subtle.  I was exhausted enough and frustrated with the lack of results my turbo air kick had produced or not produced I should say.

The Lord loaded me down with an abundance of gifts and divine weapons to tackle this mission but I overlooked the instructions He had given me. I realized very quickly that no matter how much I wanted to, I wasn’t going to save the whole world; but I sure did try. The Lord showed me that I what I really needed to do was influence and impact. This was one of those “heavy revey” moments (heavy revelation) I experience quite frequently on my spiritual journey.

Influence and impact? Ok…how do I do it?  Be careful what you ask for: God might just show you! Thank HIM He did! 

During my Christian walk I have met a lot of folks who take on Christianity like professional weightlifters. They read the Bible, come to church, quote scripture like their on Bible Jeopardy, sing the songs, and truthfully, at first glance, they look like spiritual heavyweights but then; you get to talking to them or observing the way they live their lives and you realize it was all steroids. In reality, they are Christian lightweights. It isn’t how well you know the scripture, although it is crucial to know God’s word, to know it and to KNOW it are really two different things. When we really KNOW it, we live it. Every single day we reflect what we KNOW and that is that when we love The Lord Jesus our lives should be a reflection of who He is. He lives within us and as a result His image should shine through. 

When we’re really living in Jesus our true Jesus-filled heart is exposed to all who come in contact with us…and I mean ALL! We have what they want. An unbeliever can look at a true believer and no matter how bad they fight the “force” something inside their heart longs for the peace and joy a true, influential Christian is made of. It’s part of their persona. By doing as the Lord guides us to do we can impact the life of others without even realizing it. 

When I built the Just4Ladies web site (the Christian version) I never envisioned a community that would influence and impact the way it does. I simply needed a release for my pain and the only way I knew how to release that pain was to design a web site. It was my escape and it was also God’s way of re-training me to use my gift for good. That first version of J4L was built on sorrow and suffering. It was a testimony of how God was changing me and working in my life. He wanted me to do it that way, the broken hearts in the world NEEDED to see it and know that God was working. I never realized how it was influencing the people who were finding it until much later and then the impact of the impact hit me.

I started receiving letters from women who “once were lost” but had found Jesus through Just4Ladies. WHOA! They found the key to life through my pain? How profound! After the first few letters I felt a stirring in my heart and a joy that I attribute to The Lord smiling down on me. I was obeying, He was being glorified, people were coming to get to know Him!  What an IMPACT!

I recently received an e-mail from a woman I had talked to about a year ago. She was heartbroken and devastated over her husband leaving for another woman and the pain she was in when I first spoke to her broke my heart. He had left her with no money and no hope for her future. I felt moved to send her a copy of “A Course in Heartbreak” and wrote a note with the book telling her it was my gift to her and someday she might want to share it with someone else who needed it. I didn’t hear from her again until recently.  This is how her e-mail to me started: 

Dear Shell;

            It has been over a year since I have written you but I wanted to send you an e-mail and thank you for all you have done for me. Your book and web site changed my life. Although my husband did not return yet something better happened…I met Jesus! I did not think it would be possible to feel the joy and hope I feel most days. How could I ever thank you for leading me to Him? Without Just4Ladies I never would have found My Savior! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! The other day I started to receive breakthrough in my miracle. I finally reached a point where I know that all I need is Jesus. If my husband doesn’t come back I am going to be OK. Not long after I finally let go I received a phone call from my husband!!! He is not happy with his other woman and wanted to meet and talk to me. I am taking this very slow and won’t make a move without my Jesus!

I was totally humbled by her e-mail. I hadn’t done anything really except send her a copy of the book HE wrote through me. My web site is built and displays the message and testimony it has for the last 6-years. How could I possibly influence someone’s life and impact them in such a great way? I didn’t have to karate chop or wrestle; I just needed to let God’s influence in my life shine through. I needed to let His influence on me shine through so that it could influence another. It did, with an impact!

It would be easy for me to wallow in my misery and focus on all of the past hurts I have had to deal with. Sometimes it’s easier to just live in the past because we already know what’s there and the thought of facing an uncertain future is awfully scary. Not to those who have the “G” force. We step into the future each day KNOWING God has an incredible new adventure or lesson just waiting for us. 

On the days when I feel like Job, Jr. I have a prayer pep talk. I figure the devil wants me to be down and out of sorts because today is the day someone is going to cross my path that is going to need to experience the “G” Force. If I’m not wearing my “G” force power pack on my back how am I going to be able to influence that person? This is when I remember what Brother Tom said about being the only Christian some folks might come in contact with. Well, if that’s the case; I’m not going to represent the author of my joy and extraordinary life with misery and negativity. There going to KNOW who rules my heart!  Misery, sorrow, anger, resentment, hypocrisy…those ain’t my tools. NO WAY!  I am going to influence with joy, peace, love happiness and a God given sense of humor.  I’m going to be a positive influence in their lives even if it is only for a short time. God willhandle the impact.

I realize I can NOT change anyone; but I can influence them. The impact I have on their lives depends totally on that influence. I want to always be a positive experience and never a negative one. It’s the only way to make an impact. Don’t you agree?

So come on…get your “G” pack on, put your Bible in your holster and let’s go get ‘em!!! (Mission “not” impossible theme playing in background)