Influence
“the act or power of producing an effect without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of command”.
This definition says that we can change things around us without really trying, by just being present in a certain time and place, we can actually change the outcome of a situation without lifting a finger or saying a word. We can affect the outcome in any situation we are in for the better…or worse. You can choose to be a good influence…or a bad one. With that kind of power at our disposal, shouldn’t we be very careful of how we use it?
One of the problems with this is what some of us see as being a good influence, others may see as bad, and vise versa. Suppose you want to influence your child to put a high importance on serving God, and because of that they tell their coach at school that they can’t come to practice on Wednesday evening because they have their church youth group. That coach might think you are being a bad influence on your child because they think sports are more important than church. I know of one student who did this and guess what? The coach changed the practice time for Wednesday so they could be at practice and still make it to church. Unfortunately this is the exception and not the rule these days.
In high school, I used to influence others to participate along with the rest of us in using alcohol and drugs. We thought we were influencing them for the better because now they could be like us and “fit in”. What we saw as good was definitely not good at all.
As much as we try to be a good influence though, we are not always successful. Once at a church car wash to raise money for a mission trip (good thing), the guys were trying to come up with some signs to use to get cars to pull in. I playfully suggested that they put the letters for car wash on their chest and then go to the street as a “living” sign. I should have known better than to say that because next thing I knew we had four boys with their shirts off, swinging towels over their heads on the side of the road, in front of the church, with the letters spelling “CAR WASH” on their chest and back (not so good, but funny). It did work, put positive results and positive influence don’t always go together.
I believe as adults (and older brothers and sisters) we have a responsibility to be a good influence for our young people (it’s kind of a passion of mine). It’s difficult as parents because we are not the only adults who are spending time with our kids. We have to trust others to be consistent with our teaching of what’s right and wrong behavior, for example…
I was driving to work the other morning and there was a bike rider to my right. As we approached the intersection the light changed to red. I stopped, but the man on the bike looked and without slowing down rode right through, breaking the law (VC 21200). In fact he ran two lights in a row. Now this man was dressed nicely in Dockers and a button down shirt and as I continued after the light changed to green, I realized that this man was pulling in to the parking lot of the High School…he was a teacher! This situation fits perfectly with our earlier definition. He didn’t say a word or try to influence any particular person in any way, but by his actions he could cause others to think its ok to do the same thing.
I know I can’t undue the past, but as a Christian now, I have a responsibility to God and to those around me to be a good influence on this world. Even when no one is watching I try to do the right thing because it forms a habit I can carry with me in public. Plus, since I am in a position of being a “teacher” sometimes, I know that the Bible says I will be held to a “higher standard” than others (James 3:1). I will never always do the right thing, but Galatians 6:9 says…”Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”. The world we live in today makes it hard to do the right thing. There are constant temptations all around us. But it gives me joy to know that just by being who I am today, by my actions, I can change the world for the better…we all can!
It’s kind of funny to me that after being the kind of teenager I was, you know, the one that most parents didn’t want their kids to hang out with, that now parents trust the care and safety of their kids to me on a daily basis. Who says God doesn’t perform miracles anymore!
By Glen Bryant
No comments:
Post a Comment