A Good Influence

When I was a young kid, my parents watched carefully to see who my friends were. My Mom reminded me that I would be known by the people I hang around. I believe that influence is assumed. If we hang around certain people and become close friends with them, they will certainly influence us.

Influence means action that produces effects and change on others. I am influenced by others and hopefully I can be a good influence on others as well.

King Joash was 7 years old when he became king. I would argue that he was influenced heavily by his mother as well as the priest, Jehoiada. Jehoiada was steady and consistent in his counsel to Joash over the years.  Check this out….

¹⁵ Jehoiada lived to a very old age, finally dying at 130. ¹⁶ He was buried among the kings in the City of David, because he had done so much good in Israel for God and his Temple. (2 Chronicles 24:15 NLT)

Influence is a bit tricky – there has to be co-operation with the other person whom I have no control over. If I’m excerpting influence over someone that I’ve employed, then it may not be voluntary.  I don’t always know if I’m being influential, I just need to be steady and consistent in living out my values. I think Jehoiada probably looked back on his life and had seen areas where he had been influential. It broke my heart that as soon as Jehoiada passed, the king swerved away from following the Lord.

I pray that the Lord keep close in step with Him today and every day. If there is an opportunity for me to have influence, then I pray that it is Christ in me that is doing the influencing. I want to communicate my values through how I live, talk and walk. I don’t want to others to look like me, I want them to look like Jesus. I want my influence on others to outlive me for years to come – generations upon generations.

Pressing On!

Dwayne