Making Maximum Impact

February is a short month but it’s packed with significance. This month we observe President’s Day, Black History, and Valentine’s Day. The focus on leadership, legacy, and love inspires me because they share a common thread. They each determine the impact we have on others.

There is a lot of talk about the carbon footprint we make on the earth’s atmosphere. I don’t doubt the legitimacy of that concern, but I think there is a greater issue. What type of imprint are we making on the lives of the people around us? I’ll discuss this question in this month’s posts: The Maximum Impact Series!

As I consider the impact of leadership, legacy, and love, both the level and the quality of impact come to mind. Seeking godly wisdom, owning my mistakes, and relying on God’s grace equips me to make a positive impact. But the impact reaches maximum potential as I submit to God’s purpose.

Can we talk LEADERSHIP? Everyone is not a leader, but everyone is definitely led. Our individual desires, our values, and experiences prompt us towards a specific direction. Whatever forms the compass we follow, it puts us on the path towards God or away from pleasing Him. If we are leading others, they experience the ripple effect of the blessing or the burden.

“Regardless of our endeavors, we make the most Kingdom impact when we are the least preoccupied with ourselves.”

Any measure of the help I give or the hurt I cause can create my LEGACY. I want to provide the maximum amount of help and do the least amount of harm. But being remembered in a positive light generally doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over a lifetime. If my lifetime has many moments of seeking God, then my legacy is likely to leave others with the ability to see Him more clearly. My greatest moments of clarity come when I see God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

When Jesus explained the greatest commandment, LOVE was written all over it (see Matthew 22:34-40). Who and what we love is our motivation for (or our distraction from) being our best. We should strive for excellence and attend to our well-being. So self-improvement is good, but preoccupation with myself – not so much.

Regardless of our endeavors, we make the most Kingdom impact when we are the least preoccupied with ourselves. If my intentions lead to insecurity or insisting that I have my way, I mute any positive impact I am hoping to make.

Whether you are starting to consider your circle of influence or going full throttle towards purpose, here’s some good news: through Christ our lives can make a godly impression. But to make maximum impact we have to visit ground zero for the soul. It’s at the foot of Calvary’s cross. As Jesus finished our redemption, the good work He does in and through our lives began. For all who receive Him, that’s hope for the heart and joy to the soul.

Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:37-39 NLT