I’m InSample

I’m Influential

If we were to scroll through today’s headlines, it wouldn’t take long to encounter the brokenness of this world: violence, poverty, hatred, abuse, and countless other atrocities. All evidence of our need for Jesus. Faced with this reality, it’d be easy to sit back, shaking our heads, longing for Jesus to return. While His return is the hope we all look forward to, sitting back and waiting is not what He asked us to do. Rather, as children of God, we’ve been asked to be influential for His glory, right here, right now. 

God desires to right the wrongs of this world, and His plan to bring about this reconciliation is us, His Church, living out the good news of Jesus for our world to see. This means growing and living in a way that our lives produce fruit that makes a difference in the world around us. Rather than passively enjoying the freedom we’ve received in Christ, we are compelled to share the good news and lead others into God’s family. Rather than separating ourselves from broken people and systems, we’re invited to realize our own brokenness and find healing as we engage in God’s work in our neighborhoods, churches, and relationships.

Living a life of influence begins with recognizing that our days are not our own. God has good works planned for each of us, ways that He wants to influence this world through us. We must simply hear His voice and obey His nudges. It may require setting aside our own expectations and choosing to see what seem like interruptions as opportunities—opportunities to embrace a moment of influence. These moments may seem inconsequential, but when God is at work in the middle of them, our small acts of obedience can become significant acts of influence.

God is at work in this broken world, and we have a vital part to play in His plan. Listen to His voice, obey His call, and step into a life of influence for His glory.

Consider: What is something, or who is someone, that I can stop seeing as an interruption and start seeing as an opportunity to be influential for His glory?