Here are some quotes from Chapter 4 of Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus, that have really stood out to me. The chapter is on “Influence.”
- Influence is defined as “power affecting a person, thing, or course of events” – especially one that operates without without any direct or apparent effort.
- Many times we conclude we are powerless because we cannot changes things “up.” Those who hold positions of power and authority simply will not see things our way. All too often when we cannot change things up, we conclude that we cannot change anything.
- How many times have we concluded we were powerless to make a difference because the available resources were withheld from us?
- Two roadblocks that often mislead us are lack of authority and lack of resources.
- [In the story about Jonathan and Saul referenced in the book] Saul was paralyzed because he had too much to lose. **My Note: I never want to be paralyzed because I have too much to lose.**
- Title, position, and authority may hold power, but influence travels through relationships. And in the end, influence is the fountainhead of power.
- The essence of influence is to win the heart and soul of another person through the strength of your own character and personhood. This is why influence is always more powerful than authority. Authority can shape what a person does, but influence shapes who a person becomes.
- All of us pass a bit of ourselves on to others. You better like who you are and make what you give to others from yourself a gift and not a curse.
- More often than not, God’s invitation to us to seize divine moments is found in the needs of other people’s lives.
- Nothing matters to God more than relationships…Having a right relationship with God results in having right relationships with others.
- What may look like inconvenience might be no less than the beginning of a life-changing opportunity. Often divine moments look like inconveniences of the front end.
- One of the ways we miss divine moments is to treat what we consider normal influences as irrelevant. We must never underestimate the importance of one moment, one word, one deed in the life of another human being.
- One of the tragedies of neglecting God-given opportunities is that we are never aware of the breadth of influence and outcome(s) that we have missed.
- Influence can do what command can never do; it can win the hearts of people.
- [Erwin] “I am convinced that great parenting is all about influence. It is more about shaping values than it is about setting boundaries.
- Influence transfers best and moves most quickly whenever respect and trust are present. When the environment is right, influence goes deep. It goes to the very core of who we are.
- The relationship between character and influence is like breathing – the deeper you inhale, the stronger you can exhale. Take your character deep, and your influence will be profound.