Influence

Most everyone understands what influence it. My children have been learning lately of the media’s influence on a violent culture. Any person who has access to social media will readily understand the influence one person can have on another regarding opinions surrounding COVID, government actions and how we feel about vaccinations.

The dictionary would define influence as the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself” Based on this definition, we can readily see how parents influence their children, siblings influence one another and when we spend enough time with someone, they will influence us, or we will influence them. It is inevitable. You cannot stop influence anymore than you can stop needing air. So the two big questions here is who are you influencing or being influenced by and is it for good or bad?

Now, I love reading my Bible. There is a ton of romance, intrigue, mystery, true crime and every emotion know to mankind in between the covers of this great book. I find such relatable characters in the bible. David, Ruth, Esther, Paul, Jeremiah, Mary Magdalene and one of my favorites, Peter.

Are you familiar with The Chosen? (You can follow this link to watch it) In "The Chosen", the character of Peter is very developed. He is a brassy, passionate, confident leader, who although was skeptical about Jesus in the beginning became something of a shadow to Jesus in the three years they spent together. I have read the gospels over many, many times and not all the stories are exactly the same. Often time one writer will view a miracle with a slightly different angle than another. Matthew was very ‘type A’ all the details needed to be recorded exactly, while Luke wrote from the perspective of someone who had thoroughly investigated each claim and story before writing it down. What I noticed that each gospel had in common was that each of the four record the time when Peter denies ever knowing Jesus, and he does so with language and passion.

I have thought often of how Peter must have felt when those words “ Man, I don’t know what you are talking about” (Luke 22:60) crossed his lips and his eyes locked on Jesus’. Peter is recorded as “weeping bitterly” (Luke 22:62)

John’s gospel later records a conversation between Peter and Jesus after he was risen in which Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him. Peter responds like this the last time “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” (John 21:17)

Jesus did know Peter’s heart. He knew the repentance that was there for his denial, and the love he had for his Lord. Sometime after Jesus rose into heaven, the Holy Spirit is given and the disciple go out and begin spreading the gospel. We find in Act 4 that Peter and John have preformed a miracle on a lame man in the name of Jesus, and we read “Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd” (Acts 3:12) Peter is courageous here. He is fully aware of the risks involved in spreading the good news and yet, he moves forward to share with all he meets the hope of heaven.

Here is the take away in this story. Acts 4:13 says “the members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”

Peter allowed the circumstances of his life and his relationship with Jesus to affect his life in such a way that when people looked at him, they couldn’t help but see a likeness of Jesus looking back. Now, please hear me, Peter was not perfect, but his lived his life in the culture and time period he was in to the glory of God. His priority was not self fulfillment, gaining praise from men, climbing the corporate ladder or amassing wealth. He set out to live his life sacrificially. He wanted every person he came into contact with to see and hear about Jesus.

If we look at this as a gauge for our own lives, where would you land? Do you interact with people in such a way that you stand out as someone who has spent time with Jesus? Is your conversation saturated with gracious, uplifting, words of encouragement? Or do you snap at the person who is not wearing a mask, standing too close in line or becoming impatient at the slow pace things move at these days?

When you see someone struggling, do you reach out to help, do you offer a shoulder? A helping hand or a strong back? Do you smile with your eyes from behind that mask? Or are you bitter about having to wear it?

I know these days are trying. Everyone has an opinion and they seem to want to share it. If we are to be reflecting Jesus, maybe we need to take a step back and remind one another that our God is still in control. COVID has not surprised him. He is able to make diamonds from dust. And he is able to use you – yes you – a teenager, a mom, a co-worker, an elderly person to point the people that cross paths with you to Jesus. In order for that to happen, you need to be spending time with him. Read your Bible Christian! Don’t neglect the private conversation of prayer with your Heavenly Father. Lean into the Father and reflect the Son!

You are Loved.