to help them understand that a relationship with God is the one thing – the only thing – that will give them true joy. Because as we all develop that deeper relationship with God, it will only enhance our relationships with others. But first people must be drawn to God. That’s where you and your Magnetic Christianity come in!
Ever since I was a young man, I have been a fan of the “self-help” genre of books. I am a big believer in the power of the mind. Books by people like Norman Vincent Peale, Napoleon Hill, Zig Ziglar and Dale Carnegie have had a profound influence on me. I believe their basic principles are right on the money.
But I have always had something of a problem with some of the ideas presented in some circles of “self-help” thinking. Where does God fit into all of this? And can we find these principles in God’s word? The answer, of course, is yes! There have been and continue to be many great books written by brilliant Christian authors that will help you to be happier and more successful. But I want you to know those are not the end goals of this book. Don’t get me wrong; if you allow God to strengthen you in the attributes we talk about in this book, you may, indeed, become happier and more successful. And that’s great! But the bottom line is that this book is not, in the end, about you. It is not about what you can get from enhancing your relationship with God and utilizing your gifts to the full. It is about what you can give. It is about fulfilling your potential so you can help others to find the ultimate happiness: life in Christ.
The term “self-help” is troublesome to begin with. It implies that the help we need to succeed as humans lies within our selves, or we can tap into this on our own power. For some, this seems like a rather atheistic viewpoint. It makes it seem as though we are the be-all and the end-all; as though the power that lies within us comes from us.
As a Christian, we must reject this notion. Any power that we have comes from God alone. The moment we begin to take credit for anything is the moment we begin to fall into the sin of pride. I want to state from the outset that this is THE underlying principle of this book. We all have great power within us. But that power does not come FROM us. The traits and attributes we will cover are all gifts from Almighty God. We must always recognize this, acknowledge it and be sure to give thanks for all the gifts that have been given to us.
That being said, we have all been given great power. The human mind is one of the most complex and powerful things ever created by God. This would only stand to reason if we believe that we have been created in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 2) This does not mean that we are God or gods. I’m afraid too many people make this mistake. It’s the whole pride thing. But we are “God-like” in that we resemble God; we are His children, His offspring. He has endowed us with power that is beyond our wildest dreams, even our own comprehension. The power God has given us is the power to tap into His power!
Now to him who is able to accomplish far more
than all we ask or imagine,
by the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
We speak of the power of our minds. But we must always be cautious in using this power. If left to our own devices, we will invariably misuse this awesome power. We must always be sure that our mind is working in tandem with our heart. By this I mean the laws God has written onto our hearts. We must always be striving to be within God’s will. The one place we can be sure we find this is in the sacred Scriptures.
Does God’s word speak of a magnetic personality? It certainly does! In fact, the Lord Jesus had the most magnetic personality of all time! If we can just imitate Christ, others will naturally be drawn to us. But the goal is not to draw people to us as though we’re collecting sycophants. The goal is to draw people to us so they can see Christ working through us. The real goal is to draw people to Christ! But we must remember that we are the hands and feet of Jesus. So many people will never encounter Christ unless they encounter Him in us. So let’s move forward and reflect on the attributes we can better utilize to help draw others to Christ.
The following list is certainly not exhaustive. In fact, I’m sure you can come up with other things that you feel make up a Magnetic Personality. That’s great! Write them down and add them to the list! I’ve identified eleven things I find clear evidence for in the Scriptures that I believe will draw others to us, and to Christ, like a magnet attracts metal. Hone in on these eleven attributes. Work on growing in each area. They will serve you well in every area of your life; family, business relationships, friendships, ministry – you name it!
Here are the eleven attributes of a Magnetic Personality:
•Positivity
•Enthusiasm
•Friendliness
•Confidence
•Humility
•Honesty
•Kindness
•Compassion
•Approachability
•Generosity
•Encouragement
Each chapter will be filled with Scripture references that speak to the attribute at hand. Meditate on these passages. See if you can think of others that relate to the attribute. Seek out deeper answers in God’s word. I’m sure that, as you discover other verses, you’ll have one “Aha!” moment after another. At the end of each chapter, I’ll give you some questions to use as thought starters or discussion starters. As you reflect on them, try to bring up situations from your past where you found success in using the attribute. Realize each success was a gift to you from the Holy Spirit. Think, too, of times where you may have fallen short, where you may not have utilized the attribute as well as you could have. These are moments we can certainly learn from. It’s often said that we learn more from our failures than from our successes. I believe that we can learn much from both, especially in the spiritual life.
So, what are we waiting for? Come on! Let’s grow!
CHAPTER ONE
POSITIVITY
Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
It’s probably the most common question in the English language. It can also be one of the trickiest. The answer to the question can reveal an awful lot about a person’s attitude, demeanor, and outlook on life. What is the question?
“How are you?” (The question has any number of variations, like “How’s it going?” and “How are you doing?” or “How ya doin’?”)
How do you answer that question? I’ve found the most common answer is a one word answer. “Fine.” And that’s…well, fine. But is it true? And if so, is it enough? I hope not!
Fine simply says things could be better. On the positive side, things could be worse, too. But why should we settle for fine? When I hear someone answer “fine,”
