The Edifier

West Allen Church of Christ

The Edifier Index

I am an Influence

 

While it is good that we do not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think (Romans 12:3), some of us do not have a high enough regard for ourselves and the influence that we have on others.

We need to remember that the simple act of bringing a brother to the Lord resulted in an apostle preaching the first gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost (Andrew led his brother Peter to Christ -- John 1:41). Had Andrew been aware of the influence he had that day he might have been overwhelmed.

That the least of us has influence can be seen when we hold a small pebble in our hand. We can look at the rock and know that it has no mind, no mobility, no voice, no will - nothing speaks of influence. However, toss it into a placid pond see the reaction. The concentric circles seem to flow on forever. No influence? Why, the stone had immeasurable.

We live our lives the same way. We are forever creating the concentric waves of influence as we move within the great sea of humanity that we call home.

The homemaker, who feels her life is a squalid wasteland because she is not out in the "real world," may have far more influence than the careerist who labors only in the marketplace. Remember, George Washington had a mother, as did Napoleon, Hitler, Bill Clinton, the apostle Paul and even Jesus Christ. Dare we diminish the influence of the women who helped to mold the lives of their little ones?

Dorcas may have felt insignificant, but her influence was so keenly missed that the disciples enjoined the apostle to raise her from the dead (Acts 9:36).

A centurion wields influence on the battlefield, but one in particular caused others to seek the Lord and follow his example into Jesus Christ (Acts 10). Were not the Roman legions improved by the efforts of this single man?

Let us never be arrogant and think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; but then again, let us never deny the considerable influence that each of us wields. Yes, indeed, we each bear influence on the lives of others.