9voltbattery.jpg“Ouch! That stung!” Immediately, the homeschooled child withdrew the 9 volt alkaline battery from the tip of her tongue. The shocking buzz was brief but sharp. Both kids collapsed in giggles and wonder at the power of this tiny electric storage cell.

But the real power of this story is not the inherent charge of the battery. Battery power is dwarfed by the enormous potential power of persuasion exercised when one human wants to influence another. One homeschooled child, seeking to influence, coaxes or dares the other homeschooled child to touch the terminal of the battery with a wet tongue. Innocent of the looming hazard, the other child is persuaded to comply. One child influences while the other child is influenced. One leads, and the other follows.

Leaders call people to act a certain way or adopt a new belief. The proposed change can be cultural, moral, economic, political, intellectual, spiritual, or behavioral. Unlike the battery, however, human influence is never neutral. The annals of human history reveal horrendous stories of evil men like Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, and Osama Bin Laden who influenced willing disciples for wicked purposes. Fear, prejudice, hostility, hatred, and egotism are the frequent tools of the corrupt leader.

Thankfully, history also discloses the multigenerational impact of righteous men and women like the Apostle Paul, Florence Nightengale, and Nelson Mandela. What causes the good leader to choose love, forgiveness, sacrifice, and service as tools of influence?

  • Are good men and women genetically predisposed to goodness?
  • Does private education make a difference?
  • Is a pleasant, affluent lifestyle the key to positively influencing others?
  • Will well-meaning parents necessarily raise good kids?
  • Does indoctrinating a child in religion predict a future of good decisions?

No. Exceptions can always be presented to refute these generally-accepted platitudes. Although genetics, education, circumstances, parents, and religion do contribute to the shaping of an adult, none of these suggested factors completely explain why a man or woman leads with love, forgiveness, sacrifice, and service. What makes the difference?

belief in the One who raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead

The answer seems so profoundly simple, but that’s not surprising since “the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:17) A tender-hearted response to the call of Jesus miraculously changes a person from the inside out. It is not that a good person has faith in Jesus. None of us are good before that life-changing encounter. When the living God adopts a new child into His forever family, He freely gives of His Spirit, and it is the constant presence and counsel of His Spirit that moves the man or woman to act as Jesus would: in a life of sacrificial love, forgiveness, and service. Gratitude fuels the words and deeds of the leader who follows Jesus.

But God in His infinite love does not force Himself on any of us. He gently woos and patiently waits for a response. Likewise, parents cannot force salvation upon a homeschooled child. If your heart’s desire is to raise godly leaders who will impact our culture like the Apostle Paul, Florence Nightengale, or Nelson Mandela, you can follow their example. Lead your children in a spirit of love and forgiveness. Show them the delights of sacrifice. Serve others in your family and community. Children learn by imitating, so show them what a life of righteous influence looks like, and when Jesus calls them, He’ll give new purpose and meaning to the influential habits that your homeschooled children are already forming.