With Influence Comes...

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven!" ~Matthew 5:16

With influence comes GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!  It's kind of like the Spider Man phrase, "With great power comes great responsibility." (Only, influence is a very specific "great" power.)  :)  I've been struck with the truth of that phrase this past week.

I overheard a sweet little girl at church say something this past wednesday at our children's program, while helping another new girl learn a bible verse.  She said, "This is how Bri taught me to learn them." and then spent time helping her new friend learn that way.  I'm humbled and grateful and struck with how powerful influence is.  I know that each of us have influence, but overhearing that sweet girl say those simple words really struck me with just how awesome each of our influence is!  My Mom influenced the way I learn Scripture, which in turn helped me influence the little girl on my team, which in turn helped her influence the new little girl and WOW!  God is amazing! :)

With influence comes great responsibility.  It's kind of an intimidating phrase isn't it? It should be though!  God has designed life so marvellously that we each have our own power of influence and great responsiblity is attached to it!  

How we live directly affects our family, extended family, friends, friends of friends, church family, acquantainces, and the people around us anywhere we go. Our life is an influence that we are responsible for.  People are always observing, watching, listening, and learning from you.  This isn't meant to creep you out, make you nervous or paranoid.  Lol.  Instead, it is meant to make you live in the fear (reverential awe) of the Lord.  It's meant to make sure that we allow God to be our influence at all times, so that our influence on others reflects Him!  

The neatest thing is, that God has specifically designed responsibility not to be a burden when He's involved, because He loves to carry it with you!  Have you ever heard the phrase, "He's not heavy, he's my brother."? Well, that can be said the same of responsiblity when it's surrendered to the Lord and viewed the right way!  "It's not heavy, it's my responsiblilty!" ;)  LOL!  It may not be the easiest thing to say, but nonetheless, it's very much true when God's holding it with you!

Matthew 5:13-16

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost it's savor, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden

under foot of men."

Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a

hill cannot be hid.  

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto

all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven!"

  I Peter 3:15

  "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"


 Proverbs 27:17
 "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

 Colossians 4:6
 "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."


 Romans 12:3

  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."

 

Proverbs 16:3

  "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established."

 

May God be your influence above all influences!  May you claim your burden to be light, because His yoke is easy!  May you embrace the impact that your life has by obeying the Lord in every step, 
so that your life will cause others to see Him, 

know His love and desire to know WHO HE IS!

Blessings on your week! 

~Bri