“My life shall touch a dozen lives before this day is done,
Leave countless marks for good or ill ere sets the evening sun,
This is the wish I always wish, the prayer I always pray;
Lord, may my life help other lives it touches by the way.
(Anonymous author)
This coming Sunday is designated as “Mother’s Day.” A day to give recognition and honor to our mothers. When I think of my mother, I think of her nurturing me to become my best created potential. From my first spark of life in her womb, she carefully nurtured me toward a healthy birth into her world. And from that moment on, my father joined her in lovingly nurturing me into adulthood. Thanks be to God for Godly, nurturing parents.
However, I have come to believe that this work of love in nurturing others is not limited to parents but is God’s expectation for all of us as his highest calling. Generation after generation, commandment after commandment, God kept calling His people to this life purpose of loving and nurturing others, and then in Jesus He came into our world to “show and tell” how to do it.
Most every human being desperately needs the emotional nourishment of recognition, encouragement, and hope. To give another this vital nourishment of love, trust, and security toward influencing and shaping their character, attitudes, and instilling faith and hope, is called nurturing.
I must emphasize that at the core of this nurturing process is a genuine concern for the other. Like a mother’s love for her child, there must be positive feelings and concern for the person you wish to influence and nurture.
Consider those persons who most influenced and nurtured your life. What made them “special” to you? Are they not persons who gave you encouragement and made you feel good about yourself? Are they not persons who you felt genuinely cared about you? Were they not “nurturing influencers” in your life?
What is a “Nurturing Influencer” you ask, and how can I be one? A nurturing influencer is a “GIVER,” being more focused on giving rather than getting. They seize opportunities to give a hand in helping others to become their best created potential.
From their heart of love and concern, they give Love. Before you can have any relationship with another person, you must show them love. When it comes to helping people grow and feel good about themselves, there is no substitute for love. Everyone needs to feel valued and loved. And do not ever assume that people know how you feel about them. Tell them!
From their heart of love and concern, they give Respect. That means making it clear that their feelings are important, their preferences are respected, and their opinions are valuable. It also means giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Please note that whereas, Love focuses on giving to others, Respect shows a willingness to receive from them. Respect acknowledges another person’s ability or potential to contribute to the relationship.
From their heart of love and concern, they give Trusted Security. People are reluctant to trust you when they are worried about whether they are safe with you. People will feel secure with you when your actions and words are consistent and conform to a high moral code that includes respect for them.
From their heart of love and concern, they give Recognition. They readily share recognition and show appreciation to others. Even a little bit of recognition and appreciation can go an incredibly long way in a person’s life. “Nurturing Influencers” know they are building self-esteem and motivation every time they give recognition and express appreciation to the other.
From their heart of love and concern, they give Encouragement. Nothing influences another like encouragement does. When a person is encouraged, they can face the impossible and overcome incredible adversity. It is also true that the lack of encouragement hinders a person from living a healthy, productive life.
You ask, how can I become a “Nurturing Influencer”? The apostle Paul strongly directs us toward cultivating a positive attitude of other-mindedness: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)
I add the following helps in cultivating a positive attitude of “other-mindedness”:
1) Commit to helping others. Making a commitment to help people changes your priorities and your actions. 2) Believe in others. Give people your trust and hope, and they will feel safe and not want to disappoint you. 3) Be accessible to others. You cannot nurture anyone from a distance. You can only do it up close and in person. 4) Give freely to others. Instead of trying to make a transaction out of it, give freely without expecting anything in return. 5) Give others opportunities. As the people you nurture gain strength, give them additional opportunities to succeed and grow. 6) Lift others to a higher level. This should always be your ultimate goal – helping people to reach their fullest potential.
Even though many people find it hard to be loving and positive toward others, especially if their growing up environment was not nurturing them, I believe anyone can become a “nurturing influencer” and add value to the life of others if they seriously cultivate a positive attitude of being other-minded.
I am urging you to join me in being a “healing ray of righteousness” as a “nurturing influencer” in the lives of others. Let us live to bring light and love into our present world of darkness and hate. Amen!
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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 4, 2022
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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