Influence

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Today we are going to look at a topic that really hits home for me:

INFLUENCE

This is a biggie for a lot of us living in a modern culture where you either GO BIG or you GO HOME.  

Most of us will not be famous (as the world defines that term)--we will not be known and admired by millions, we will not have expansive platforms from which to preach or minister or serve, we will not do things that will be recorded in history books (again, from the world's perspective...the Bible tells us that all our words and deeds are being recorded by God and each of us--saved and unsaved alike--will be held accountable for them at the end of the age (Matthew 12:36, 2 Corin 5:10)).  

This concept of influence has hit me hard recently, coming from growing up as a "successful" straight-A student leader and becoming a recognized medical student and resident physician...to later becoming a stay-at-home mother of three little ones where there is NO paycheck, NO annual awards banquet, NO promotions, and oftentimes, NO thanks!  (but...I wouldn't trade it for the world!) 

Perhaps you, too, can relate.  

You feel that you have a lot to offer, but this current season in your life seems pretty quiet, ordinary, and mundane.  Perhaps young David felt this way, knowing he had been anointed by Samuel to assume the throne after Saul...and yet, he was "stuck" tending sheep in obscurity!  And as we see so many times in the Scriptures (with Moses, David, and young Jesus), God often uses those quiet seasons in life to train His leaders of the future!  

One thing that I try to preach to myself on a daily basis is that influence is NOT about having a particular social position or attaining a certain financial status.  It is NOT about earning awards and receiving pats on the back.  The Lord is constantly reminding me that it is not about the number of people with whom I come into contact (and how are we ever to quantify that anyways!); instead, it is all about lives and hearts.  

Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin underscoring the fact that even ONE lost soul is precious to Him and worth all the effort of finding (see Luke 15).  In fact, we Luke 15:7 tells us that all of Heaven rejoices over just ONE lost person coming to faith in Christ!  Jesus chose to pour His life into 12 disciples, instead of large crowds.  We might think of having influence as being seen, heard, and known in a flashy way, but God does not.  His Kingdom came quietly...with a baby in a manger. 

Another thing the Lord frequently reminds me of is that it is not all about ME.  Perhaps, in God's great design, my purpose is to influence the influencers!  Look at Esther in Scripture. She was an orphan living in Persia, and then one day, she was queen of the whole land.  Her influence saved an entire race of people, the Jews. Yes, she was in the public eye, but her cousin Mordecai wasn’t...but he had raised her like a father and continued to influence her even when she was queen.  I also think of David, whose heart burned to build a temple for the Lord.  Even his trusted spiritual adviser, Nathan, thought it was a good idea (see 2 Samuel 7:1-3).  But not all good ideas are GOD's ideas!  God straightened David out and made it clear that the task of rebuilding the temple was to be Solomon's (David's son) task...not his own (1 Chron 28:2-6). 

And here is the key...again, another point I have to remind myself day-to-day and often moment-by-moment...influence isn’t about a social position; it’s about a heart position.  When we show up with a heart of excellence, out of humble service to our God, we are operating from our most powerful position of influence. When we are obedient to God's leading, people will be positively impacted (even if they do not notice!). The Bible says in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” You sharpen the people around you by simply doing what is right.  And I believe that sometimes all that God asks of us is to be available to others.  Perhaps we simply cannot do another thing, but if we are willing to ask questions, listen, and be available to be used by the Lord, He will use it to minister to another (I think of Nehemiah's example with this!).

We all have days when we don’t feel very influential. Maybe life has knocked you down a few times, or maybe you feel overwhelmed by things that are beyond your control (ummm...HELLO...I struggle with feeling influential as I move every 3 years on average as a military wife!). I encourage you to read the book of Esther in the Bible. Esther was orphaned as a young girl and seemed to have little hope for significance, but there was something different about her. She trusted her cousin Mordecai when he told her, "And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).  Through a series of events, God’s favor positioned her in the palace of the king.  And she boldly petitioned the king to save her people and was used by the Lord to rewrite history!

That same Sovereign Lord is also working in YOUR life and MY life today, to position us where He will have us, dear friend! The apostle Paul tells us in Acts 17:26-28,

"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being...'" (emphasis mine)

God has all of our appointed times and places in mind...for the purpose of seeking HIM, the Scriptures say.  He does not want us to do a work on His behalf as we seek to influence the world, but instead, to die to our flesh and rely on Him, joining Him in the work HE is doing to influence the world for His Kingdom.  

And the Lord is teaching me about my biggest area of influence right now...the powerful influence we have as  intercessors...as we pray over our families, workplaces, nation, and the world!  Isn't that just like God?  To use the most quiet,  intangible, private practice in our daily walk to have the MOST influence over our lives and even the world?

Our influence may be extremely "subtle" on the outside, in the eyes of the world.  We may not receive accolades or acknowledgements in this life, and we may not even realize all the ways we are affecting the people around us (in fact, let's pray we don't...as this will only lead to pride and self-reliance!).  But make no mistake about it, we have a HUGE influence on those around us...even if it is "only" through prayer!