Today we are not easily impressed. People can sing until glass breaks, but there is someone else who can do the same. If someone comes up with a witty idea, we are not moved because in may cases, we thought about something similar, or have our own thing we are working on. People are not driven as much by what others think, so being impressive is hard, but that does not stop us from trying.
Impressive is defined as:
'Having the power to excite attention,
awe or admiration through size, quality or skill.'
BEING IMPRESSIVE
I have found that sometimes the people we are least interested in are the ones we try to impress the most. We have family and close friends that we really don't worry or often even care about what they think of us, or if they are impressed; but we put a lot of thought and effort into impressing people who are basically, not impressed! Why is that?
"The ones I am least interested in, I try to impress the most.
The ones who love me the most, and know me the most, I don't even try to impress because they already love me." ~JHG
I have found that this applies with our relationships with with God as well. He absolutely LOVES US! Regardless to how we live, what we do, where we go and how we try to avoid Him, He loves us. He is the only one who really knows how we are and continues to accepts us, help us and works to change us into a better version, or more so - the original version of ourselves. He walks us through our struggles and forgives our every sin, yet we don't really live to impress Him. Now granted, the question is 'can we really impress Him when He knows everything'? Not really. But how we live, how we trust Him, lean on Him and allow Him to govern our lives, no matter how messed up we are, can be impressive... not to Him, but to others.
LEAVING AN IMPRESSION
Instead of trying to impress people with who we are and how what we acheive, we should instead seek to leave an impression on them. Since being impressive points to being able to excite attention, we have to remember who the attention is for. It feels good to get compliments and praise for things we do and work on in this life. It is rewarding for someone to tell you how impressed they are at what you have done or accomplished, but truthfully as believers... that is not why we are here. We are here to manifest His works in our lives, we are here to leave an IMPRESSION.
An IMPRESSION is defined as:
'An idea, feeling or opinion about something or someone, especially one
formed without conscious thought, or on the basis of little evidence.'
Many times we may encounter people who have no real idea who our God is. They have heard one thing, seen something else and none of it may be good. But when we deal well with people in a time that they are not accustomed to it, it leaves an impression. When we ignore ignorance and love people in spite of how they treat us, it can leave an impression. It can form an idea or opinion about God in during a time of their lives when they have seen little evidence of Him.
We are told to
"Let your lights shine so bright that others will see OUR good works and glorify HIM."
That is impressive living.
So as you go through life, instead of trying to please people and get them to notice us or our works, live your life so they will notice Him, and see His great works through you! Impress them, with an impression of HIM!
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