eKidz Devotional: All About InfluenceSample

Who do you think of when you hear the word “influence”? Your first thought might be of a president or king, or maybe a popular celebrity. Those people definitely have a lot of influence because of their position. But did you know that you have influence, too?

That might seem hard to believe, but we all have some influence over the people around us. If we want to be godly leaders, it’s important for us to remember that leaders use their influence to guide others to good.

That’s exactly what Joshua did in today’s Bible passage. God chose Joshua to lead His people into the Promised Land, which gave Joshua a lot of influence over the Israelites. God had chosen the Israelites to be His special people, but they weren’t always faithful about following God’s commands. They liked to do things their own way, and that got them into trouble sometimes. 

But Joshua wanted to guide God's people to good. He told the Israelites they could choose what they wanted to do, but then he said, "...as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." He set a strong example, and by doing that, he used his influence to guide everyone to the right decision — because of him, the Israelites committed to following God, too!

In the first episode of “The Gunga Games,” Fwizz probably didn’t sound like someone with a lot of influence at first. No one would have expected a TreeRunner to be a strong leader. But influence isn’t determined by size or strength! Check out this clip to hear how Fwizz used her influence to guide others to good:

Fwizz wasn’t big or important, but she influenced the TreeRunners to do the right thing. When you use your influence to help the people around you make right choices, you’re being a good leader!

Ask yourself: Who is a good leader you know? What are some ways you’ve seen them use their influence to guide others to good?

Challenge yourself: Commit to being a positive influence in your home, with your friends, and in your community. Find an index card or sticky note and write down how you’ll influence one person in each of those areas to be more like Jesus. Place it somewhere you’ll see every day as a reminder to continue using your influence to guide others to good.

Pray: God, thank You for the great leaders You’ve put in my life. Help me understand the ways they use their influence to guide others to good so that I can use my influence well, too. Teach me to recognize where I have influence already and to use that influence to guide others to good. In Jesus’ name, amen.