Last night, our ConnectGroup from church finished up our study of The Cost of Control by Sharon Hodde Miller. One of the main points Sharon left us with is that the only things we can really control are ourselves, and there are plenty of times when I do a lousy job of that. She differentiated control from influence. Control is about forcing our agenda on others. Influence is attempting to understand another person's position and then offering counsel when that person is open to it. I face this decision on which approach to take a lot in my business and with my personal relationships. I believe I have gotten better at choosing influence over the years, but I still have a long way to go. While our group didn't always understand Sharon's recommended approach, her writing did a good job of stimulating conversation with the group, and as the group leader, I appreciated that. And there is one other thing we know for sure. Our gathering, our study and our desire to know God more are pleasing to Him. I hope you have, or can find, a group of believers to share your journey with.
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