The Power of Presence

Are you aware that you have a resident source of power and influence within you? The resident source of power and influence is your presence which you carry with you everywhere you go.

Something happened to me this week that made me keenly aware of the power and influence of my presence. I was at the local YMCA walking and jogging on the indoor track. This track is situated upstairs and has an oval shape. When you climb the stairs, you immediately encounter the indoor track. It only takes a few steps for you to be on the track. The track is about six feet wide with a white strip down the middle dividing it into two lanes. The turns at each end of the oval are blind turns. You cannot see someone who may be walking/jogging toward you from the opposite direction.

There is a very visible sign attached to the outer wall of the track that gives instructions to the users of the track. The sign instructs walkers to use the inside lane of the track and joggers to use the outside lane. It also has directions as to which direction the users should move in on a given day. When you enter the track on Monday, Wednesday and Friday you are to go in the left direction. When you enter the track on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, you are to go in the right direction. These directions are intended to keep all the users of the track moving in the same direction, thus avoiding a collision between people moving in opposite directions. In addition to the permanent written instructions on the sign, a very noticeable red arrow points in the direction of the day at the top of the sign. The arrow is pointed each day to correspond with the written instructions.

Early in the week I was on the track and had just emerged from the oval at the south end of the track when a man entered the track and started walking straight towards me with his head down. Before I could speak to him to tell him he was headed in the wrong direction, he lifted his head and saw me. Immediately, he turned and look at the sign on the wall and realized that he was headed right when the direction of the day was to the left. He stopped, smiled and said, "I'm sorry, thanks for getting me going in the right direction." Only then did I speak. I think I said, "No problem, glad to help!" What was it that made the difference and helped this man move in the right direction?

It was my presence.

I did not yell out, "Hey man, where are you going? Can't you read signs!" Words were not needed because my presence spoke to the situation. The smile on the man's face and his whole demeanor told me that he was grateful that he saw me and was able to correct a wrong before there were any negative consequences.

As I continued walking and jogging, this blog was born in my mind and heart. I thought about the power of simple presence. What if we took to heart the potential and influence that all of us could have through our presence?

If we realize the power of presence, we can make a concerted attempt to always be in the right place. There are some places Christians shouldn't go because we should never grace those places with our presence. It is not up to me to identify those particular places for you, but I believe they will be obvious.

If we realize the power of presence, we can try to adopt and display a wholesome, positive, redemptive demeanor. People see our presence before they ever hear our words. They read our appearance from the moment they see us. Over the course of time, they will respond accordingly to the demeanor they detect. A pleasant presence has the potential to create a cheerful, positive vibe within them. A sour, angry presence will probably do the opposite.

There are many occasions in our lives where words and actions are needed, but before any words are spoken or actions are taken, there will be a presence which will set the tone for what is said or what is done. The success or failure of what is said or done may not hinge entirely on the presence that precedes the words and actions but will surely be affected by the presence.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus spoke some pivotal words that speak about the power of presence.

"You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven"(Matthew 5:13-16).

Both salt and light have a mutual distinguishing feature. They have presence. Both work through their presence. Salt through its presence preserves and adds flavor. When it loses its presence, it is useless.

Light is the same. Through its presence light illuminates. It is not the spoken word of light that dispels darkness; the mere presence of light drives away darkness.

The fact that Jesus used these two metaphors to depict what Christians are to be and do speaks volumes as to the importance of Christian presence in our world. Are we salt and light in our world today? Being salt and light will always start with our presence. Words and actions may and sometimes should follow, but without the presence of salt and light, our words and actions will betray us rather than validate us.

I'm thankful for my experience this past week with the gentleman at the YMCA. I'm nothing more than one solitary person on this planet populated by billions of solitary people just like me.

Every one of us has a presence.

I suspect that all of us will to one degree or another, steer people in the right direction or the wrong direction through our presence. I want it to be the right direction for me. What will you do with your presence?