Influence . . .
“We must not allow the voices of the world to set the agenda for this decade . . . nor must we allow those voices to teach women how to be women.”
We are all familiar with having a favorite song repeatedly play in our heads. The same goes for a “word” and for me, that word has been Influence! Susan Hunt’s quote, contemporaneously speaking, could not have been better phrased and is now printed on the front cover of my recently published book, Things That Matter: contemporary subjects for contemporary women.
INFLUENCE speaks to us from the moment we awaken and grasp our cup of coffee until nighttime when we lay our head on our favorite pillow. Upon awakening, we may have our day decisively planned, but the slightest thought or suggestion can influence our plan causing a complete derailment.
As a stimulus, influence inspires, causes questions, doubts, or celebrates; conversely, influence can be peddled, pushed, persuaded, manipulated, and conned . . . as well as observed through body language. Even a look may cause us to change course, as was Mother’s tactic. Dad, for example, loudly cleared his throat, A’hem, influencing me and my two brothers to shape up.
Vanessa Bohns, Harvard Business Review, “Don’t Underestimate Your Influence at Work” (January 6, 2023) states, “The blind spot people have for their own influence can have important consequences. Failing to recognize the influence you have can lead to missed opportunities to spearhead change efforts, ask for things you deserve, and show up in support of causes you care about. In other cases, it can lead you to say or do things haphazardly, leading you to influence others unintentionally — sometimes in ways you wish you hadn’t.”
No matter how it is sliced, influence has a voice with enormous power, either positively or negatively, to sway our ability to think or to form an opinion directly or indirectly. For example, Titus 2:3-5, clearly lays out a job description, i.e., spiritually mature women are to pour into the next generation . . . to influence . . . to impart . . . to instruct the younger women how to be women whether married or single.
So, what do the voices of the world sound like? What are they saying? What are they advocating"? What are they promoting? We are surrounded and bombarded by pollution 24/7 in the world of media, education, medicine, economics, social networks, politics, and government . . . to mention a few. It is more than communication . . . it’s what is communicated; thus, the idea of the voice goes much deeper.
The world system is under the subjugation of the devil’s dark side whose agenda is to steal, kill, and destroy (marriages, relationships, families, careers, and self-worth), yet Jesus came to not only give us eternal life, but real life, as well. (John10:10)
Eugene Petersen, Author of The Message, translated the Bible so that it would be easy for any of us to understand. Quite simply, Ephesians 2:2-3, states. “Do not let the voices of the world who don’t know the first thing about living tell you how to live. Do not inhale their pollution and exhale disobedience.”
The Lord God created us to subdue the earth as spiritual leverage to change the world system. (Genesis 1:26-31) The Lord God places us where we are . . . not to be passive or casual or sing que sera, sera (whatever will be will be) . . . but to proactively change the system that is broken; so, then, how do we do this?
We must take the initiative by making ourselves available to our sisters. For example, our thought life is powerful; therefore, we must fight for the purity of mind and soul or be caught up in the unrestrained cravings of the world system. For instance, if we do not know or believe the Holy Scriptures as the ultimate and final authority on truth, we are open prey to the devil’s techniques if we aren’t alert. WHY? Because like a roaring lion, he is hungry . . . and, as a voice of the world, he is on the lookout to seek and seize and scoff any opportunity made available to him. (1 Peter 5:8) My pastor recently shared that a lion never attacks a pack of animals, but is quiet, stealth, and patient to seek and strike one who is tired, defenseless, and alone. We need each other!
As women. we are in a unique situation which can only be achieved through having lived through the seasons of our lives with His Grace. There’s no retirement in the Kingdom of God. The Lord tells us the more we give . . . the more He pours into us . . . therefore, the more valuable we become in His eyes.
You are an influencer! Your experience is valuable! We are to look out for and care for one another. We are our sister’s keeper!
Never underestimate your influence!
Have you measured yours lately?
