Being An Influencer

"Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem.  His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.
Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
2 Chronicles 24:1-2 (NKJV)

There are people today who are known as influencers, and there are many more people that would like to become influencers.  Influencers are often social media personalities who have a large following of people that will buy or do things because of the influencer.  There can be various reasons that someone becomes an influencer, and often the reason is that an influencer can generate a lot of money and popularity from their influence.  It is good if someone has a positive influence on someone else, but if a person has the wrong influence on others, it would certainly be a bad thing.

In 2 Chronicles 24, we read about King Joash and how the priest Jehoiada was a positive influence on the king.  But, when that priest died, there were other people who were a bad influence on the king.  This shows how important it is to have the right influence in life and how without the right influence some people can go astray.  There are many more stories like this in the Bible that show us the influence that one person can have on another, and there are many ways we can all be a positive influence on other people today.  

Whether we realize it or not, we are all having an influence on others, and that can be positive or negative.  Of course, we want to have a positive, godly influence on other people, but is that always the case?  Are we building people up, or tearing people down?  Are we making people better with our influence, or making them worse?  We should all be a positive influence on those around us, and it starts with our having a growing relationship with God, so that we have something to positively influence others with.  We can all be an influencer today in someone's life, using what God has given us.

Reaping And Sowing?

"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."
2 Corinthians 9:6 (NKJV)

The principle of sowing and reaping, giving and receiving, works in every area of life.  When we do one thing, it usually results in something else happening.  But no one can just expect to receive a result of something when they have done nothing to set this principle in motion.  What we do will have some type of result, but we cannot expect to have some result if we have not performed any action.  If we want to reap a crop of corn, we have to plant corn, if we want to receive interest on an investment, we have to first make the investment.

Most Christians have heard about the principle of sowing and reaping, the idea of giving and receiving.  And usually when we hear about this in a Christian context, it is in the area of finances.  But that is just a part of how this principle works, and we should not limit our understanding of this to just monetary or financial situations.  For example, if we want to have people help us, it would be good to first look for ways to help others, if we are looking for better relationships, we need to put our best into the relationships that we already have. 

People often try to benefit from something without having previously done anything.  But the principle is that if we give, we receive, if we sow and plant, we will reap; it does not work the other way around.  Our focus should not be on just receiving, our focus should be on doing what we know God wants us to do, from His Word, as a part of His plan for our life, and by the leading of the Holy Spirit.  If we look for ways to give and invest, in every area of life, instead of just looking for ways to get and receive, we will gain and reap wonderful results.

Are You Using The Instructions?

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

At one time or another, just about everyone has bought something that required some assembly.  Whether it was a piece of furniture, a toy, or even a smart phone or computer that did not need assembly, these things all come with some type of instructions.  Although some people ignore the instructions and they try to put something together in a way that makes sense to them, or they just try to do what they think is best, instructions are given to us for a reason, and using the instructions is going to be better overall than not using them.

The problem with instructions is that sometimes they are a bit complicated, which is a problem in itself, but if the instructions are written in a simple and clear manner, there is no reason to not follow the instructions.  But what if we think we are so smart and have such great life experience that we never need any kind of instructions?  That is sad, and it happens too often.  People sometimes wonder why they struggle and face problems in their life, and one of the reasons could be that they are ignoring God's instruction manual. 

God has given us His Word, His instructions to live the life He has planned for us, and God has also given us the Holy Spirit to help us follow the directions that God has given.  But what if we don't follow those instructions?  If we ignore God's directions and wisdom, it can lead to some big problems.  In the same way that natural instructions are given to help us assemble and use a product, God has given us His Word to help us put our life together and operate successfully in this world.  We all need to use our God given instructions.

What Did God Say To YOU?

"This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God.  And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays you?"
Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"
Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?   You follow Me."
John 21:19-22 (NKJV)

Imagine being at your place of employment and having your boss give you some work to do.  Then, instead of just going to do the work you were given, you start questioning your boss about the work that other people have been assigned to.  Or imagine someone on a sports team not playing their position but constantly going over to other players to check on what they are doing.  In either situation there will be a problem because someone is overly concerned about what another person is doing and they are ignoring their own work.

A problem that often happens is our comparing what we are doing and what we have to what other people are doing and what they have.  Too often people get very interested in what someone else is doing, rather than just paying attention to what they should be doing.  The more a person gets involved in the lives and work of other people, the less they are focusing on their own life and work.  The result of this can be that both people are doing less than they should be doing, and this will lead to problems.

In John 21, Jesus talks to Peter, telling Peter to follow Him.  But rather than just doing what Jesus told him to do, Peter asks about what John should do.  What Jesus told Peter should have been enough.  But like many people today, instead of just doing what Jesus said, Peter wondered about what someone else would be doing.  We need to focus on the plan and purpose God has for us, what God has spoken to us through His Word and by the direction of the Holy Spirit, and do that.  The question is not about what God has said or done with others, but what did God say to YOU?