Are you a leader? Do you want to be influential?  If you answer yes to any of these questions, then this study series ‘Wisdom for Influence’ should interest you. Join me, let’s learn together. 

What Is Influence?

“Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something” -Oxford Dictionary.

A person of influence is someone with leadership in a given sphere, someone whose words, presence or actions motivates and drives people to act or respond in a particular way.

According to John C. Maxwell; “​the true measure of leadership is influence nothing more, nothing less“. 

What Is Wisdom?

The webster unabridged dictionary defines wisdom as the capacity to make due use of knowledge.

What Is Biblical Wisdom? 

From the Bible, we learn that the preeminent and choice part of wisdom comes from a reverent fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), and insights into the workings of life come from the knowledge of God.  The bible remains the truest, purest and most reliable source of the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:6).

Do you need Wisdom for Influence?

The topic ‘Wisdom for Influence’ aims to explore biblical insights and approaches to leadership for wider application to everyday life. So if you are you occupy any leadership position or seeks to be influential, then you need wisdom for influence.

 Biblical Insights and Truths to Influence and Leadership

1. True Influence comes from God

Like we see with the shrewd manager in Luke 16:1-8, influence can be bought. Influence can also be gotten through philanthropy and generosity (Acts 9:36-43). However as we read throught the bible, we find that widespread and overwhelming influence is orchestrated by God. 

Abraham is celebrated across different religions as a great patriarch. How did Abraham become so influential? 

God’s promise to Abraham in Ur before he departed for the promise land was a promise to make him influential…

“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bleoss those wh bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:2‭-‬3 NKJV

Abraham accumulated great wealth through his sojourn from Ur to Canaan, and although Abraham was a hardworking farmer and herdsman, in Genesis 12:2-3 God states clearly that He is the One who would make Abraham influential. Indeed, God repeats and emphasizes the word “I” at least 4 times in that portion of scripture. 

In 2 Chronicles 1:11‭-‬12,  Solomon asks God for wisdom to lead and govern His people, in response, God promises to give Solomon great wealth, riches, honor and glory. Solomon’s influence came from God.

True influence comes from God. He is the One who exalts and promotes (Psalms 75:6‭-‬7).

Abraham’s Wisdom for Influence

Abraham trusted God, obeyed God and walked by faith in God’s Word. He left his comfort zone at Ur to an unknown land.  Can you imagine relocating from where you currently reside to an unknown destination because a voice told you so?

Abraham exhibited great faith walking into the unknown simply at God’s command. 

Solomon’s Wisdom for Influence 

God’s response to Solomon followed Solomon’s request for God’s help in governance. 

Solomon was grateful for God’s kindness and goodness towards his father David. He was grateful for the kingdom God gave him to be king over;  ‘a nation as full of people as the earth is full of dust‘ (2 Chronicles 1:9). And a grateful Solomon wanted so desperately to boast of The Lord’s goodness and to display God’s magnanimity towards him and his household. Therefore he assembled all the army officers and judges of Gibeon and all political/religious leaders of Israel at the Old Tabernacle for a showdown. After 1000 burnt offerings, God responded to Solomon’s gratitude by issuing him a blank cheque-he can ask for whatever he wants. Solomon asked for wisdom to lead God’s people. In otherwords, Solomon asked for Wisdom for Influence 

  “Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”  II Chronicles 1:11-12 NKJV

Just reading a bit of Abraham’s and Solomon’s journey to influence we see that total dependence on God is necessary for enjoying Godly influence. We must trust, believe and have faith in God and His Word and also be ready to obey and follow His leading, living in total submission to His will. 

Please join me in the next part as we consider another wisdom nugget for influence. 

A grateful Solomon wanted so desperately to boast of The Lord’s goodness and display His magnanimous doings towards him and his household. Therefore he assembled all the army officers and judges of Gibeon and all political/religious leaders of Israel at the Old Tabernacle for a showdown!

God wants us healthy, well and enjoying life (3 John 1:2). He wants us to enjoy life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). So, the scripture is replete with admonitions on ways to live, life choices to make in order to enjoy long life. Below I share a few of them..

Jesus is with you always; God is with you.
And when God is with you, His power and might is evident in your life.
When God is with you, His blessing is present in your life.
When God is with you, prosperity is inevitable in your life.
When God is with you, you succeed in all you do.
When God is with you, favor surrounds you as a shield.
When God is with you, your promotion is inevitable.

Hurray! It’s time again for GRACE OBOMANU FOUNDATION (GOF) Christmas Outreach!!

Through your support, GOF continues to reach out to needy people and elderly persons in our communities especially during the Easter and Christmas holidays.

Can you believe that this is our 3^rd year doing this together? From the ‘Badamia Boys Home’ visit, to the Easter and Christmas 2022 Outreaches, we have together preached the gospel of Christ, provided free medical care, distributed foodstuffs and given free health talk; especially to needy people and the elderly. I am grateful for the privilege and opportunity to impact lives together with you.

This Christmas (2023), we are planning two (2) outreach sessions in 2 communities. We have carefully selected 2 health facilities with poor patient patronage in 2 different communities. We will work in partnership with the facility staff to render free medical care as well as distribute foodstuffs to no fewer than 100 persons in both locations. As usual these sessions would also provide an opportunity to preach and evangelize especially to our primary target audience, the elderly. We also hope that our presence at the facility will help improve facility utilization going forward.

Outreach Dates: 13^th & 14^th December 2023.

Will this be something you’d like to be a part of?

Below are some options for partnership for you to consider;

Partnership options

1. Volunteer to physically attend by emailing name and location to info@graceobomanufoundation.org

2. Donate towards purchase of foodstuffs (rice, garri, sachet tomatoes, sachet salt bags, sachet vegetable oil, seasoning cubes, salt, geisha/sardines). Estimated cost of individual pack is ₦10,000 (10USD); we need 100 packs for 100 elderly persons.

3. Donate Medications ((antimalarials, antihypertensives, multivitamins, hypoglycemics, antibiotics, etc)

4. Donate towards purchase of food and transportation for volunteers.

Donate/Give

If you’d like to donate any of the items listed above, we can make arrangements to pick up (within Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria).

If you wish to support financially, please follow this link to donate https://graceobomanu.com/give/ 

Or

You can do a bank transfer as follows:

Account Name: Grace Obomanu Foundation

Account Number: 0691163847 (NGN),   0691217843 (USD)

Bank: Guaranty Trust Bank Nigeria

As is our practice a breakdown of donations and expenditure will be shared with our sponsors after the outreach.

Please join me Let’s Go Feed Jesus Together this Christmas (Matthew 25:34-40).

Thank you for your prayers towards a successful outreach.

God bless and Love Always,

Dr. Grace Obomanu (Founder)

When a young man wants to propose to a young lady, he might choose to package the engagement ring in a beautiful attractive and alluring box. The box, inspire of how beautiful it looks, is not the main gift, his target is to deliver the contents of the box to the lady he loves.

Some of the gains and benefits of contentment we can tease from scripture including 1 Timothy 6:6-10 are; preservation of our faith/belief, protection of our joy/peace and protection from covetousness.