I have been reading a book by John Maxwell called Developing the Leader Within You. John spoke about influence and how it makes an impression on our everyday lives.
He quotes, “No one can understand that mysterious thing we call influence… yet… everyone of us continually exerts influence, either to heal, to bless, to leave marks of beauty; or to wound, to hurt, to poison, to stain other lives.”
Maxwell’s concept of influence extends beyond our awareness, shaping our choices and interactions every day. Recently, a simple trip to the grocery store underscored this truth for me
The other day my husband and I went to a specialty grocery store to get a particular bread for an event. We bought 10 packages of this bread. The gentleman that was having his stuff checked stepped away for the register to add six packages of the same bread to his purchase. He told us that when he saw how many packages we were buying, he knew that bread must be really good! So, even though he didn’t know us at all, he was influenced by us enough to blindly buy the bread. At that moment, we were influencers and he imitated us in his purchase.
This simple encounter at the grocery store illustrates the power of influence in our daily lives. Just as we were influenced by the recommendation of others, so too are we called to imitate the example set by Jesus Christ.
Drawing from biblical wisdom, the Apostle Paul urges us in Ephesians 5:1 to ‘Imitate God,’ setting a profound standard for our conduct and influence.
Paul tells us to ”Imitate God.” He continues to tell us how in verse 2 when he states, ”Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.“ (MSG)
Furthermore, in Luke 4:18-19, Jesus articulates His mission on earth, providing a blueprint for how we can positively impact those around us.
Jesus said, ”The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news [hope] to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy), to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the favor of God abound greatly].”
Jesus demonstrated His love for all of us by attending to our needs physically, emotionally, spiritually, as well as giving us hope!
As we reflect on these biblical teachings, we recognize the profound connection between imitating Christ’s love and influencing others for the better. This sentiment aligns with Maxwell’s perspective on leadership, where he emphasizes the inseparable link between love and effective influence.
John Maxwell explains the success of influence and leading by saying, “…you can love people without leading them, but you cannot lead people without loving them.”
Let us answer the call to influence others with love, following the example set by Jesus Christ and echoed by leadership expert John Maxwell. As we navigate our daily interactions, may we strive to emulate Christ’s extravagant love and selflessness, thereby leaving a positive and lasting impact on those around us. Together, let’s commit to being influencers of goodness, kindness, and compassion in our communities and beyond.
1 thought on “I Choose Today to be an Influencer”
Amen. People are watching us all the time, even when we don’t realize it. What we do and how we act is important. Lord, help me live the kind of life that is a good influence on whoever I come in contact with.