If you’re a believer, God wants you to be an influential person. He doesn’t want you to be influenced by the world, but rather to be a positive influence on people around you. Romans 12:2a (NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Unfortunately, many believers have not had their minds renewed by God and they think in the thought patterns of the world. You’re not going to be very influential if you’re just like everybody else. In this post, I want to help you renew your mind with what Jesus taught about becoming a person of influence.
Jesus taught two important ways that believers are to be influential in society. The first way is to influence others against evil. Matthew 5:13 (NIV) You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Salt has the property of being a preservative against decay in foods. Believers are to take a stand against evil and sin in society by speaking out and acting against it. Of course, if you give in to sin yourself, you have absolutely no credibility to influence others against it. However, if you retain your saltiness, then you can warn others against the dangers of sin. If you don’t take a stand against evil, you’re going to get trampled upon, which is where a lot of fearful and ashamed believers are today. Wake up, be salt.
The second way to be influential is to influence others for good. Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Jesus’ second metaphor of an influential believer is that of light. Jesus came as the light of the world and believers are to be the light of the world. Light illumines, light dispels the darkness and guides to the truth.
The world tries to get believers to hide their lights, saying, “It’s just your private opinion, keep it to yourself.” Jesus says, forget the world, listen to me. Let your light shine by doing good deeds, so that people will praise God. It’s not just a matter of doing good deeds, since then people will praise you. To be influential for God, you must do good deeds and let people know that you are doing them for Jesus. Then your good deeds will serve as light, drawing others out of the darkness into the marvelous light of Jesus Christ.
Are you an influential person? Are you being salt and light to the world around you? Are you consciously influencing others against evil and toward good? If not, ask for God’s help, it’s a prayer He loves to answer. God make us influential believers for you.
Good post. I enjoyed it and it is so true.
Thanks,
Mark
preachology.com
I read this page solely for the purpose of trying to be influential in my life. I do not believe in God for he has given me no reason to. Existence is not proof of a supreme being. I used to be a Christian and during the time I was, God never talked to me. Reading coincidental signs in nature is not unlike a tarot reader, so there were times when I did think God was talking to me, but I now realize I only heard what I wanted to hear. I do not believe it is possible to turn water into wine.
That being said, I do agree that with allowing an object do what it is intended to do. Your example is the lamp underneath the bowl. My example is the human brain. You can not imprint a set of guidelines and beliefs on people, THAT is contradictory to what the brain is supposed to do. It is the job of the brain to think out the realistic possibilities and realize that what we are taught as children is no where near as accurate as we think as children, including religion. A requisite for being influential is a desire for “good” I agree, but you haven’t really told me how. That is why I really don’t like the article, the God stuff is just that little bit of irritant to make it worse.
Although the post was directed toward believers, any person that opposes evil and takes a stand for good will be influential. The most influential people are believers who partner with God in carrying out His plans in the world. You said “I used to be a Christian and during the time I was, God never talked to me.” Jesus says
A lot of people think they’re Christians, but aren’t. According to Jesus, true Christians will be able to hear God speak to them and guide their lives to being truly influential for God. If someone never hears God speak to them, they’re not a believer.