The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘influence’ as:
1 (noun) The power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways, to sway
2a The act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command
3 (verb) To affect or alter by indirect or intangible means
When I started thinking about this word, I realized how much ‘influence’ is a part of our lives. Influence is usually subtle and may be inconspicuous. Everyone is / has been influenced by someone or something in some way, whether they realize it or not. And everyone influences / has influenced someone or something in some way, whether they realize it or not. We are influenced by the things we perceive through our senses or otherwise comprehend or understand. And we influence others by the way we exhibit ourselves by our speech or behavior.
Think of the people who have influenced your life. Parents and family come to mind as our earliest influences. Then as we grow, people like friends, teachers, mentors, or spouses lend their influence on our thoughts and opinions. We incorporate those influences into our thinking and manner of life, usually without even recognizing that we are doing so.
Because we all have been influenced in different ways by different people or experiences, we all are different. We all have our individual opinions about life and how to live it. We have unique preferences, tastes and attitudes. The myriad of influences we have received have worked together to help form the person we are today. For example, my mom loved poetry. That is likely what influenced me to love poetry.
Sometimes those influences relate to minor points. Like, I still fold my sheets the same way my mom did. I see her influence in many chores that I do. You may fold your sheets differently because of your mom’s influence. That doesn’t make either right or wrong – just different. And the way anyone performs life’s routine maintenance is simply a matter of choice. And is of little consequence in the big picture. Yet sometimes we argue about those differences like we have cornered the market of how tasks should be done. That’s just plain silly!
The people who genuinely care for or about us, are usually a good influence on our lives. Our parents, our families, our brothers and sisters in Christ all love us; and that is the motivation behind their influence. They don’t want to control or stifle us; they want to see us flourish. Their influence is usually laced with kindness and is easily entreated. It may be even unintentional. Teachers or mentors who truly care about their students feel a moral obligation to be a positive influence. Others influence us in a good way because of their friendship or desire to help.
Unfortunately, there are also bad influences in our lives. These come from selfish or even malicious people who seek to influence others for their personal gain. Or from people who have taken a wrong turn in life and want to influence others to join them. Their influence is designed to snare us, intentionally or not. They use their influence to steer us into their way of thinking without real concern for whether it’s beneficial to us or not.
We all have witnessed these kinds of influences. And we see them around us daily. Advertisers constantly use influence to stealthily steer us toward their product or agenda. They use repetition and emotions to sway us without our even noticing. Politicians are masters of the influence game. Their votes depend on the success of their influence. (Please note that I am not saying that all advertisers and politicians are bad – I’m simply saying that they know how to use influence.)
It is up to us to recognize whether influences are good or bad and accept or refute them based on our personal convictions. This is where it might get a little tricky. Sometimes people have good intentions but influence us in the wrong direction. Sometimes the influence seems right but is not. So, like everything in life we have to use our brains. We must rely on our own moral standard.
Which of course brings us to the question; “On what do we base our moral standard?”
There is only one basis in all the world that is always completely reliable, and that is God’s Word. The Bible states that God has given us ALL things that pertain unto life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) Therefore, we can use the truth of the Bible as our gauge to judge all influence. That does not mean that the only influence we can listen to is Bible verses. (I have never read a verse about folding sheets!) But it does mean that whatever influence we receive must not be at cross-purposes with God’s Word. And if it is, we must refute it.
Overall, God’s influence through His Word is the best influence we can receive. God’s influence is always motivated by His great love. His influence is always beneficial to us. His influence is always reliable. And since there is no darkness at all in God, His influence is always GOOD. We can allow God’s influence free reign in our thoughts and opinions because it is always right and is always profitable. And when we are influenced by God’s Word, we know that our influence on others will be right too.
Note to my readers: I sincerely hope that my words have a positive influence on you. Thanks for reading.