Influencer? Or Being Influenced?

Have you ever been to a party with a group of kids your age that don’t really share the same values as you, or have you ever found yourself in a spot with some people that might not appreciate your beliefs?     

Have their actions ever rubbed off on you?  In a good way or a bad way?  Or have your actions ever rubbed off on them?  In a good way or a bad way?  I want to talk about how our actions can affect other people, or how we can be affected by other people’s actions- but not always in a good way.  We need to be watching out for this.    

In the Bible, there are a numerous amount of verses that discuss having relationships with unbelievers or being influenced not in good ways, or even being an influencer. As Christians we need to ask ourselves, am I being a good influence?  Or am I allowing myself to be influenced in a bad way?   

First, let’s examine ourselves.  How do we know if we’re being influenced or not? It says in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, oh God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”  When we can’t understand ourselves or comprehend our feelings or our motives, God lets us take our internal struggles to Him and look to Him for guidance and wisdom.  He understands what we do not and knows what to do when we don’t.  We need to examine ourselves in light of the truth that’s being revealed to us from God’s word and allow it to guide us in the right direction.               

1 Corinthians 6:14 states, “do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”  God tells us not to “be bound” to unbelievers because of their influence on our lives.  Did He say that we shouldn’t love the lost?  No.  Did He tell us that we should treat them with unkindness or completely ignore them?  No, He didn’t.  Instead, He says we must be mindful of how we live.  If the enemy grasps a hold in our lives by tempting us to put in jeopardy our faith and demonstration of God’s love and forgiveness, he will make significant progress toward sabotaging our relationship with the Lord and our devotion to Him.     

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners.  Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.  He will be like a tree firmly planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not whither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.  The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away” (Psalm 1:1-4).  The Lord cautions us to not “walk in the counsel of the wicked,” because the devil is out there to tempt us and get us on his side, and by interacting with unbelievers we could be tempted to follow their ways, resulting in weakening our relationship with Christ.  Instead, He encourages us to delight in Him and His laws, that way we will be like a tree firmly planted, yielding good fruits.  By staying true to Him, He will bless us.   

 

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).     

When we stay connected with or enjoy hanging out with people who have worldly morals, we risk imitating their attitude, their language, and their habits. Before long we are no longer of Christ, but of the world with its refusal of absolute authority, its exclusion of the Bible, and belief system of relative truth and morality. This can easily apply to young teens who are generally easily influenced by their peers. Young people are often desperate for the approval of others. They’re so motivated by the need for acceptance in our culture that Godly wisdom in decision-making gets shoved to the side when faced with peer pressure. That’s why it is so crucial that we are on the look out against the influence of bad company.       

How should we address this? Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”  As Christians striving to seek the Lord, we can stand firm against ungodly influences that may endanger our walk with Christ.  In all things we do, we are “self-controlled and alert, [because our] enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  We’re all still vulnerable to being influenced by ungodly attitudes and actions, even if it’s small.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t keep ourselves accountable and do our best to avoid bad influences.  By staying alert and recognizing the negativity or evil that enters our lives, we can do our best to obey the Lord and continue to seek wisdom and guidance from Him, and ask Him to lead us in the right direction.      

 

As we continue with our lives, let us stand strong in our faith, so that our light might be known among our peers and the people around us, and that we would not be influenced by the world, but strive to be Godly influences to the world by being obedient to Christ and following in His footsteps.  Think about what kind of impact you want to make.  Think about how you want to be impacted.  How will it affect your character?  How will it affect your relationship with God?