Influence

Who has influenced your life?

Are there people who have negatively influenced your life?

Are there people who have positively influenced your life?

We live in a society and a world that seems to becoming more and more “relative” on Truth and Morals. For this reason I am going to define “negative influence” and “positive influence”. This may make it clearer and easier to answer the above questions.

First lets define the word “influence”.

Influence: transitive verb

1: to affect or alter by indirect or intangible means

2: to have an effect on the condition or development of

Now lets define the words “negatively” and “positively”.

Negatively: adjective

1: marked by denial, prohibition, or refusal.

2: marked by absence, withholding, or removal of something positive.

3: lacking positive qualities; especially; Disagreeable

4: marked by features of hostility, withdrawal, or pessimism that hinder or oppose constructive treatment or development

5: promoting a person or cause by criticizing or attacking the competition

Positively: adjective

1: having a good effect; favorable

2: marked by optimism

Now that I am a Christian striving each day to live an upright life according to the scriptures, I must be careful about those I allow to “influence” my life. There are people who have positively influenced my life by teaching me to extend love and compassion. There are those people who have negatively influenced my life by teaching me to rely on myself, plan for the worst (i.e. when and if my husband decides to leave me), relativism (what's right for you isn't right for me), and that I am number one in my life (look out for me first). These teachings are in no way in harmony with what scripture teaches us. Scripture teaches us that we need to rely on Someone Greater than us. Scripture also teaches us that there are absolute Truths that transcend time, matter and space. Truth itself is axiomatic, which means it is self evident and transcends everything.

The most difficult part of living the Christian life, is cutting out everything and everyone who seeks to undermine the authority of the scriptures in our lives. These people may not have this purpose in mind “knowingly”, but if they are not serving God than they are serving Satan. The Bible tells us that we cannot serve two masters.

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

This all ties in with my last post about “keeping bad company”. It is much easier to cut off old friends than it is family members. However, Jesus tells us “who” are true family is in Matthew 12:47-50 and Mark 3:31-35

“Someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You." But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."”

“Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."”

If you read the verses preceding this you will find that Jesus' family were coming to collect Him because they thought He was “out of his mind”. (v. 21) Jesus makes it very clear that those who do the will of God are our “true” family. I have friends who have unbelieving parents, and it makes it very difficult for them to interact with their parents because of their lifestyle. In times when a person is part of a family of unbelievers prayer is much needed. Prayer that the Lord would cause repentance and conversion in the lives of the unbelievers. There also must be much prayer for the believer in the midst of unbelievers. The reason for this is simple. Place a domesticated dog in with a pack of wild wolves and see what happens. The wild wolves will surely not become domesticated. The domesticated dog will surely become wild or be devoured. This is a perfect analogy of what can happen if we “keep bad company”. (1 Corinthians 15:33) This is applied to unbelieving loved ones as well. Our family members whether we know it or not have a huge influence on our lives. They can either encourage us in the right ways according to scripture, or they can affect or alter our lives in negative ways by guiding us away from God's will according to the scriptures.

The Bible also tells us that a “prophet is not accepted in his own home”. (Matthew 13:57) The NASB says this:

“And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."”

So don't be alarmed if there are members of your family who think you are a “quack”, “fanatical” or a “Jesus Freak”, this is to be expected from those who are not in God's will.

Romans 12:1-2 is a great verse to meditate on and measure your life by:

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

To have positive influence is to have people who are “like-minded” in the Word of God. Those who are living according to God's will, which is made known in scripture, these are the “positive influences and “good company” we should keep around us. Negative influence or “bad company” are those, whether they be friends or family, who are not living according to God's will, which is evident by the fruit of their lives. Also, this is evident by what the conversations revolve around. If it seems that when you speak about the Lord (which in my case is all I can talk about) annoys or aggravates others, it is safe to say that they may not be “good company”.

Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <>< (SAHM)