Influencers

Wednesday, March 4, 2020  Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1

Influencers
This day in age it is a big deal to be a social media influencer.  But the truth is that we are all influencers whether or not we have an Instagram or Twitter account.  With technology today, everyone is an influencer and the world is your platform, and that is a dangerous thing. 

Often, we don’t think about how our words and actions might influence others and equally as tragic, we don’t think about who or what we are allowing to influence our own lives.  We may “follow” someone that we really think is smart and shares good information, but are we really paying close attention to what they are saying?  Do they glorify God in their content, and does their information line up with the Word of God?  It is easy to be led astray by those that sound close to the truth, so we have to be on guard and pay attention.  

In the devotional Monday, we learned about Ahab and how he was influenced by his wife Jezebel. Ahab was already evil without Jezebel’s help, but she greatly contributed to his wickedness instead of speaking wisdom into his life.  She actively influenced Ahab to participate in evil and wicked ways and led him further away from God. Solomon also was negatively influenced by his foreign wives to worship and build altars to false gods.  Both of these kings let the wrong influence lead them away from God which led to downfalls in their lives.

Two things we should consider:
First, how are you influencing others around you?  What do you post on social media and is it for your glory or is it to shine the light on God?  Are you pointing others to Him?  Husbands and wives need to think about how they are influencing each other, making sure words and actions are biblical. Parents, what example are you setting?  We need to be setting examples of godly behavior in our relationships and we need to weigh our words of counsel before we speak.  Pray about it if there is time.  It is a weighty thing for sure to lead someone down the wrong path because you didn’t give them the concern they deserve.  Be careful with answers. Listen. Pay close attention to what your family and friends are asking and need from you.

Secondly, who is influencing you?  Are you listening more to virtual leaders and friends than you are to people who do life with you?  It is very important that we filter everything we read and hear, and  look at it through the lens of the Bible.  God’s word is the ultimate authority and answer for everything.  There is an answer for every problem we could imagine in the Bible.  Not every speaker or influencer you follow on social media will necessarily be the best influence.  Sometimes we hear something we like, something that makes us feel better, and we trust everything else they say. 

Social media isn’t the only place we need to be careful.  The people we associate with and allow to pour into our lives are very important.  We need to surround ourselves with godly friends who will give us godly counsel and not try to lead us astray, and sadly, there are Christian friends who will lead us astray. 

The answer for all of the above is to let God be the major influencer in our lives.  Any advice we get or sermons we listen to or articles we read need to go through Him first before we let it into our hearts.  And when we are pouring into others around us, we need to be careful to be a positive influence that points others towards God instead of away from Him.  It is a privilege to be the one to bend an ear and to offer words to those around us in pain, in confusion, and even in sin.  Let God speak through you with words of life and light that glorify Him.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.  Jeremiah 17:7