Happy Monday!
In writing over the past few months, I have found that I love creating pieces of writing that present a theme or topic - such as the pros and cons of a small wedding or autumn inspiration. But I have found what I love most to write (and often what you all seem to love most to read) are the pieces of writing where I simply share what my thoughts have been lingering on during the past few days or weeks. These include posts like the one about not living life by your to-do list and the one about who is influencing us.
So this week, I thought I would share some recent thoughts and questions I have had about our influence and how we steward it well.
A Lie I Have Been Believing
Because of the internet, social media, and the overall connectivity of the world, I have believed the lie that the more people you are influencing, the more purpose your life has.
Now, I would never have said this. And if someone asked me if I believed it, I would have said, “of course not.” However, my internal thoughts and my external actions pointed to a different reality.
It is easy to think that because we do not run a big company, have a massive social media following, or have a leadership role in a large church or big city, that we lack the ability to really make a impact.
We think we are just a stay-at-home mom who spends most days within the four walls of our home, not seeing anyone but our children and husband. But we have a massive influence and important responsibility to steward in our home.
We think we just work at a small company, spend most of the day looking at a computer screen, and only interact with one or two other adults in a work day. But we have the opportunity to build deep friendships with the others we see day in and day out.
We think we just live in a small town, attend a small university, or go to a small church, where we feel like even if we knew everyone there (which maybe we do), we would not really be serving or helping anyone the way we want to. We have the ability to cultivate a thriving community where people are known and cared for.
Influence as a Gift - big or small
The truth is that we ALL have influence. We all have a circle of lives that we touch. Our influence is the people who depend on us, the people who look up to us, the people who need us to be who God created us to be.
I believe this influence is given to us by God. I believe that the people around us and the relationships we are given do not happen on accident or by coincidence but are brought into our life on purpose.
In John 3:27, the disciple John says it this way, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from Heaven.”
If our influence is given to us freely as a gift from Heaven, it is not up to us. In the words of my pastor, “What we are given, we cannot control; we can only steward.”
If someone decides to give you a gift, they decide what it is, not you. You have no control over that. However, what you can control is what you decide to do with it when it is given.
It is the same with our influence and with the relationships God has so intentionally placed in our lives. The relationships we have with our parents, our children, our spouses, our friends, our co-workers, our neighbors - all gifts from Heaven.
Therefore, what matters is not the quantity of people we know or who know us. What truly matters is the quality of relationships we are building within the spheres of influence that we have.
As a society, we have made life incredibly grandiose. Full of busyness. Bursting with ambition. Overflowing with complicated ways to build our own kingdoms.
How can we learn to usher in the Kingdom of God and not the kingdom of Caroline, or the kingdom of insert your name here?
I have heard it said that there are only three things that are eternal: God, His Word, and the souls of people. We have the great responsibility to steward the relationships we have with the eternal souls of other human beings.
Closing Questions
I will leave you this week with 3 questions, as I have found questions combined with honest reflection to be one of the best teachers.
Who are you influencing?
Do you believe the lie that if you were influencing more people, your life would have more meaning or purpose?
How are you stewarding your influence?
Thank you so much for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts on the topic of influence - please leave a comment below or respond to this email!
Talk to you next week!
Take care,
Caroline