The Influence Is You

  Have you ever heard the word "influencer?" What does it mean to you? One of my favorite devotional writers learned from his publisher the meaning of it. He said, "Big mouths. When these people speak, other listen." Influencers are people who lead. When they speak or exhibit a behavior or buy a product, other follow. Think of people like Malcolm Gladwell and Seth Godin, or think of Billy Graham or Bill Hybels or Rick Warren. 

In Matthew 5:13-14 Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world." Here's an amazing instruction by Jesus believes each and every one of us is an influencer. Not just pastors and leaders, but each of us. Preachers and Bible readers are agreed on one thing about "salt" and "light" in our passage: they might mean any number o things, but one thing they do mean is that SALT INFLUENCES MEAT and LIGHT INFLUENCES DARKNESS. They make an impact.

But there's more here: Jesus doesn't urge us to become influencers. He says each disciple, by virtue of being a follower of Jesus, already an influencer. His concern is not becoming an influence but ruining our existing influence. He doesn't want our "salt" to become "unsalty" (what is chemically impossible is morally possible.) He doesn't want our light to be covered up (by refusing to witness to Jesus Christ.)

Another way of looking at this: Jesus wants us to be more influential by faithfully being who we are and by faithfully doing what we are called to do: FOLLOW JESUS, show love to our neighbor as we would to ourselves, and serve others out of the grace we have been shown by God.

We carry out our influence when we are directly connected to the right people. They are the one who help us and train us to do well. Like the disciples of Jesus, whatever their past and who they are, they were able to leave a positive influence to their generation, change the world and do great things by following the instruction of their Master.

If we pick weeds from our garden daily, if we water our flowers daily, our garden flourishes; if we pick weeds once and water once, our garden dies. The same way, if we read the Bible daily, if we pray daily, if we love daily... if we are faithful, over time our influence may increase.

Being a SALT of the earth and LIGHT of the world is natural to true disciples of Christ. They follow the example of their Master that turns them to become disciple makers. Christlike character shall be reproduced to those who follow them. True Disciples are the salt and light of the world, who go and make disciples, they are world changers, nation transformers and disciple makers. They exploit transforming influence.

Reflect on these things: What kind of influence do you have and can you have? Where could you learn to have "more" influence? How does faithfulness prompt you to see a long-term deepening influence?