Your Influence ~ Lisa Hampton
With the invention of the internet, social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook have been bombarded with people known as influencers. They use their social media platform to influence the thoughts, words, and actions of others. Some of them are sincere in their desire to encourage others in positive ways, but a lot of them are motivated by the money they make and attention they get by getting a certain number of viewers. In a not-so-distant past it was the church that strongly influenced our society. It’s influence was even found in laws called blue laws that date back to colonial America. These laws restricted and prohibited alcohol sales on Sundays; even stores and business were closed to honor the sabbath. Today, some states still use these laws to regulate certain activities on Sundays. However, the influence of the church has gradually gotten weaker. Society no longer looks to the church as it once did. As it is Christians, that make up the church, we must look inward to discovering why we don’t have the influence in today’s society as we once did.
I Tim 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. This scripture lays out the areas in which we are to be an example and influence others.
In Word: What we say and how we say it matters. Our words are to be used to uplift and encourage others, to influence for good. Prov 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. When we say the right thing at the right time, it is a beautiful thing. Prov 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Our words are powerful and can be very harmful to the hearer if we are not careful. So, we must be very careful about how our words influence others.
In Conversation: This conversation is our lifestyle, how we live our daily lives. Does it match up to what people see of us on Sundays. How we live our lives can greatly influence others. You never know who is watching. Your neighbors see you leave for church every Sunday. They see the activities you’re engaged in. Phil 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
In Charity: This charity is speaking of our love for others. Our love should influence others to love. Love is an action word. How we treat others daily. When others see us demonstrating the love of Christ, it should influence others to do the same. I was at the drive through at McDonalds and the person in front of me paid for my meal. Their only stipulation was for me to pay it forward. In other words, for me to do the same for someone
else. Basically, trying to influence others to do acts of kindness for others. 1Co 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity. Everything we do is to be done in love. As we love we can encourage others to love. When people see Christians not loving one another, it influences them not toward Christ but away from him. Jesus said, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Jn13:34
In Spirit: I believe this refers to our attitude. What type of spirit we are in can influence the mood of others. There are times when I may be in a bad mood and I can see how it influences others around me. Even the bible says we can influence someone else’s spirit. 2Co 7:13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. The influence of their positive spirit refreshed and uplifted Titus. We must always check our attitude and spirit and make sure we are influencing others in a positive way.
In Faith: Our faith should influence others to Christ, not away from him. One way to do that is to share with others what He has done for us. Philemon 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. In sharing the ways, he has blessed our lives; and how our salvation has changed us, we can encourage them to want to know Christ for themselves. When people hear us complaining and being negative it can affect how they view Christianity, and whether they want to be a part of it. Our faith should be a beacon of hope for the lost.
In Purity: I Tim 5:2c Keep thyself pure. 2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. We are to keep ourselves as pure as we can, so that we can be used by the Lord. When others see purity in our lives, it can influence them to want purity in theirs. Over the years I have seen young people make purity pledges with their parents and friends. I am certainly not against this and think that it helps to hold them accountable for their actions. But you can be pure in your actions but have an impure thought life. So, looking clean on the outside, but impure on the inside. Satan likes to throw his fiery darts at us in the way of thoughts. Watching what we put in our eye and ear gate can greatly help in this area. It is a daily battle.
We all have a sphere of influence, at church, work, family, and even our neighbors. We must use it for the Lord. The definition of influence from Webster 1828 Dictionary says that influence means, To flow in to, inspiration, to move lead or direct. We must lead others to Christ and inspire them to want that gift of salvation and live their lives for him. How’s your influence?