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How to Be a Good Steward of Your Influence
Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
2 Timothy 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
In this section of scripture, Paul is reminded of the faith that dwelt in Timothy’s grandmother Lois and Timothy’s mother Eunice, and Paul believes, because of their faith, that the same faith they had also dwells in Timothy.
Timothy was influenced by the right things in life. He listened to the right people and Paul could see it, because it showed in his faith.
We need to understand that everything we have is a gift from God; our health, our life, our salvation, our freedom, our friends, our family, our opportunities.
God expects you to make the most of the things He gives you.
The word for that in the bible is called “stewardship.”
Stewardship – the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving.
Just as you manage your time and money, you also manage your influence. God expects you to use your influence to help other people.
What is influence?
Influence – the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.
Drugs can influence you.
Love can influence you.
Greed can influence you.
Hate can influence you.
Racism can influence you.
People can influence you.
Today, you have power to change someone’s life; If they allow it.
God expects you to be an influence in your family, at your job, to your friends, and to the people you run into during your day to day routine.
You should want to be influential.
In fact, it’s quite selfish to say, “I don’t really care about the rest of the world. I don’t care about helping anybody else. I’m only worried about l me and no one else.”
Jesus commands that you use your influence for good in this world. You were put here to be an influence for good.
Someday, we’re going to give an account to God of how well we influenced others for Him.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Are you known as the office gossip? Jesus doesn’t want you to waste your influence. You don’t buy a lamp and then hide it.
In the same way, it’s wasteful to refuse to use your influence.
Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Why does God want us to be the salt of the earth?
Because salt seasons, it improves taste, and it preserves. Something about salt brings out the flavor to your taste buds. You should bring out flavor to life.
When someone sees a Christian, they think, “Woah man, that leaves a good taste in my mouth; good character, morals, decency, manners, etc…”
Those are the three things God wants you to do with your life.
- God wants you to season the world; to make the world tastier and not so bland.
- He wants you to improve the world.
- He wants you to preserve it and to keep it from going rotten.
He doesn’t want the world to spoil.
What we need in this world is a lot more positive influence.
There are problems and causes that need attention; especially the cause of telling the whole world about Jesus.
We need every Christian to be influencing the world on Jesus’s behalf.
Here’s three steps to becoming a good influence:
- Recognize your influence.
Stop and think about who you influence, and how you best influence them.
Take inventory of your experiences, talents, abilities, passions, and interests, and think about the people you seem to connect with the best.
If you have a friend that is in the world and he likes to golf influence him by taking him golfing and influence him with the love of God.
Ladies, take a friend shopping. Influence her with kindness and great conversation.
I will never forget when I realized that I had influence in life. It was truly a paradigm shift in my life. It made me feel like I am somebody in this world. I am a human being with worth. My words do matter, my influence matters. You are worth so much in this life; you matter.
- Exercise your influence.
Influence is like a muscle; use it or lose it.
Most of us have far more influence than we’ve ever imagined. The influence that you have can be so much more powerful if you take the simple step of being a little more intentional about our influence.
- Maximize your influence.
There are only two legitimate reasons for expanding your influence.
One is ministry and the other is mission.
In other words, you expand your influence in order to help more people and to bring more people to Jesus.
Any other reason for expanding your influence is illegitimate, self-centered, and selfish.
On the other hand, there is almost nothing that God will not do for the person whose ultimate goal is the glory of God.
Psalm 72 is Solomon’s prayer for more influence.
When Solomon prayed this prayer, he was already the wealthiest man in the world. He was the most powerful man in the world. He ran the biggest kingdom in the world at that time; the United Kingdom of Israel. He was the most influential person in the world. And he was the wisest person in the world.
In Psalm 72, Solomon says, “God I want you to give me more wealth and more power and more influence.”
That sounds pretty egotistical. It sounds pretty selfish. But Solomon goes on to say what “the king” will do with this influence…
“He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.”
The purpose of influence is to speak up for those who have no influence –
the poor, the neglected, the widowed, the orphans, the homeless, the helpless, those with AIDS, those who have no education, those who can’t speak for themselves.
And on their behalf and for God’s glory, we need to be good stewards of all of the influence he gives us.
