Influencers Weekly Devotional
Influencers Cabinet Introductions
Evans Rector
“I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.” (Psalm 40:10)
Without a doubt, there are few things more powerful that can make an impact upon a man’s spirit, soul, or conscience than to hear actual life stories (testimony)…the kind that clearly explain and give credit to the divine presence of Christ active in our circumstances through the Holy Spirit. (i.e., ‘Christ in you’ from Colossians 1:27) I just finished experiencing this kind of impact as a part of attending two separate “life celebration” events. One marked a 54-year old father of seven’s entrance into heaven after losing a 2-year fight with Multiple Myeloma. The other was a 60-year old’s surprise birthday gathering, having just won his 1 ½ year battle with Leukemia. Both events were well-attended by those related to, associated with, and impacted by each man. Both showed slide shows covering childhood memories, adolescent activities, young-adult adventures, marriage, family, trips, hobbies, and those ‘funny good times’. Both had spouses speak, relatives expose, and friends share. Both men had touched numerous people in their respective spheres of influence in positive ways, having encouraged an excellence of attitude, achievement, and accomplishment. Both were known to have inspired and impacted many, but…only one gave the testimony spoken of in Psalm 40…only one turned the gaze upward, giving credit to the source of all life experiences, abilities, outcomes, and blessings. For me, this has become one of those rare moments of convicting clarity that can only be associated with major “life events” when truth, revelation, and perspective all collide to explain in a way mere words can’t. Which one would I have been? Who would get the credit as people looked back on my life? Have I concealed, hidden, kept quiet, or just simply avoided talking openly about how ‘Christ in me’ has made and is making a difference in the direction of my life path? We are encouraged to “always be ready to give an answer” when asked about “the reason for the hope that is in you” in I Peter 3:15, indicating we recognize and know why we have hope in this life. So, here are just a few examples from my story covering the last 59 years of being alive here on this earth that I want to speak of as outlined in Psalm 40:10…- Your righteousness in my life – first appeared in 1972 as a counselor at Kanakuk Kamp in Branson, Missouri where my lack of it was exposed (big time) as I was around authentic and committed guys that really knew Christ personally and were unashamed to express humility, joy, love, etc. Being exposed caused me to realize my need, and having one of them (Bob) pursue me as if I was ‘the lost sheep’ allowed me an opportunity to rededicate my heart, soul, and life to Christ…and even though it took the whole summer, it was my new beginning of His life being lived in and through me.
- Your faithfulness in my life – can always be traced to prayers being answered in every area and circumstance over my whole life…foremost one being His guiding the choice of my wonderful life partner, Bette, with whom these last 37 years of marriage have brought us countless special memories together along with two daughters, one son, and four grandsons; persevering through a family business failure, several health scares, financial stress brought on by poor decisions, relational challenges, etc., He has continued to prove He Knows, Cares, Is Willing and Able to direct and guide my heart and steps in His ways as I continue to seek Him in every decision.
- Your salvation in my life – understanding that I am to ‘work out my salvation’ (put forth effort to be transformed and changed from the inside out) as long as I am alive, The Journey’s process of becoming intimate with Christ has added so much more fulfillment and depth, simply based on being close to Him, learning what it means to abide, and continuing to say ‘Yes’ to His call and purpose for me.
- Your lovingkindness in my life – knowing that this is not only a description of His nature but also something He delights in extending His children (Jeremiah 9:24) has been a real challenge for me to begin to ‘feel’ His love…my tendency has always to be driven by and focused on performance-based activities, looking for positive feedback from those around me, not necessarily looking to Him.
- Your truth in my life – the first thing that happened at Kanakuk Kamp after my rededication was being given a Phillips N.T. Bible by Greg (who then suggested we move out of the fraternity our senior year ‘to get serious’…which I did). My initial reaction was to ‘run’, filled with uncertainty, nervousness, and apprehension. Yet, God has faithfully (for the past 38 years) and persistently provided a reading guide called Bible Pathway (Murfreesboro, TN) and ‘Word warriors’ (men who knew and lived by the scriptures daily) in my life who have been able to encourage and guide me to dig deep, learn, memorize, and ‘do the Word’.