Are YOU using the influence God gave YOU?

Mike Hosey, Elder

The Bible has a great deal to say about influence.  Consider how almost every major protagonist in the bible is blessed by God, or placed by God in some situation or another in order to influence the world around him or her.

Moses was placed in the house of Pharaoh so that he could use his influence to assemble the people of God and lead them out of Egypt, and thereby defeat the greatest human powers of the day.  The impact of that placement of Moses still has influence thousands of years later.  He placed the prophets in positions of public speaking to influence people and Kings to make sure their relationship with Him was right.

And in the New Testament, He took every day, blue collar workers, like fisherman with no education or sophistication, and placed them in positions that influenced the entire world so profoundly that their teachings and deeds are woven into the very culture that governs us today.

The purpose of placing these people in positions of influence was to impact a dying and evil world, and help reconcile the people in it to a good, loving, and faithful God. This idea of influence is something He instructs the prophet Jeremiah with. He tells Jeremiah that once he is reconciled to God he will influence the people around him, but their sins will not influence him (Jeremiah 15:19).  He was telling Jeremiah that he would be in the world, but not of it.

Jesus touches on that concept as well.  He prays to God in John 17:15-20.  Jesus prays NOT for God to take the disciples out of their evil world, but to protect them from evil while they are IN that world. Why? The reason is in verse 20.  Jesus knew that others would be influenced by the word they delivered.  He knew they would have an influence for the Kingdom of God.

If you are reading this, then God has placed you, (just like those disciples) in a unique place, in order for you to use your unique presence to influence those around you for good.  Who are you influencing?