By Chris WittsWednesday 11 Dec 2024Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
Have you ever stopped to consider how much influence you have over others? It might seem like a bit of a strange question, but I think it’s worth taking a few minutes to explain. Studies have shown that you do have more influence over others than you think. Research by the social psychologists have revealed this again and again.
And if you felt ineffective, invisible or inarticulate, chances are you were not any of those things. These feelings may instead have been the result of a lack of awareness we all seem to have for how our words, actions and even our mere presence affect other people. So why do we put ourselves down all the time?
Our influence
Well educated people see us, they listen to us, and often they’ll agree to do things for us more than we realise. It’s also called influence. We live our lives in view of other people, and as such, our words and actions affect others both in a positive and negative way. We are taught at a young age that our words can be a powerful weapon.
So if we don’t have anything nice to say, then we shouldn’t say anything at all. Have you heard that before? Sometimes we don’t realise how important we are to other people, whether it’s something we say or something we do, or even just holding the door open for someone. Every little thing we do affects someone else in some way, shape or form. It means also that sometimes our words can hurt other people. We can do something that will stay in the mind of that person months or even years. So we can have an impact on the future of that person.
That’s why we always have to be careful with the words we say, because every word changes somebody’s life, whether you realise it or not. Can you think for a moment of your life and the people who have had the biggest impact on you? How did they make that special connection? Maybe within your family, you had a grandfather that you adored. He was so generous and caring. You never forget him.
Or that special aunt or uncle who loved and cared for you. Are you living your life primarily for yourself, or are you living it to help others as well. Far too many of us approach life and our daily routine almost exclusively focused on ourselves. We make choices by considering what we might get out of it, and we assume that our words and actions; they don’t really matter. That old saying applies here. If we could only see ourselves as others see us or that other saying; people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Your life and mine touches many people every day. You and I can influence people. Are you a good influence or a bad influence? Whether the impact of these encounters is positive depends on the degree in which you help others and make them feel you care about them. Kindness is very powerful because it draws people to you and encourages others to follow your example. And there is another angle to all this.
A Christian has an added incentive to be a good influence on others, and that’s because Jesus has left us a great example, he said – you are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Our goal as Christians is not to isolate ourselves from others, but to infiltrate the world with the light of Jesus and the good news he brings. And in our world that’s driven by social media and the pursuit of influence, Christians are called to step up and become influencers for Jesus Christ. You need to earn people’s trust to effectively influence them, and the way to do that is to model a lifestyle of integrity for them. How? Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind every day so that you have the right motives for what you say and do, and to help you become a person who is more honest, humble and self-controlled. And why not seek to bring coherence between your public and your private life and between every aspect of your personality, so that you live with integrity in every situation as you do your best.
Let’s Pray
Lord, it does take a bit of time sometimes for me to realise that what I do matters to others. Even when I don’t realise what’s going on. Make me a blessing, Lord to others each day. Lord, there can be situations where either I can be a good influence or a bad influence. May your Holy Spirit help me to be a good influence for you, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.