Yesterday afternoon Dave and I were watching one of our favorite YouTube channels; they are full time RVers and they were at the Tampa RV show. As they were going from one new model to the next, they introduced a man who was with them as an “RV Influencer”. That is such a strange term however, the concept of an influencer is as old as man.
The first real influencer appeared in the Garden of Eden and was so convincing that Eve, was not only tempted, but influenced to eat the fruit that God had forbidden.
As I sit here this morning, I have been mulling over what it would take for us to be influencers. Influencers for good and not evil. Is that possible for someone like me and you? Or is that only for the rich and famous?
“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:3-4 CEV
Jesus knew it was possible and gave us a directive to follow.
“Go and make followers of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to do all the things I have told you. And I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19-20 NLV
Since the world hasn’t ended, Christ’s command is still valid.
In yesterday’s verses we saw the thing Jesus wanted his disciples to convey to the world was a “new commandment”, that they love one another. This is what He wanted them to teach the world.
Jesus is our living example of an influencer of love:
- Let the little children come to Me. When you show kindness to one of these, you’ve done it to me.
- He touched the leper
- He ate and drank with the common people
- He healed the sick and raised the dead
- He made an impetuous man like Peter one of his disciples
- He fed the hungry with 5 loaves and 2 fish
Paul, who had been a harasser of Christians, became one of their greatest teachers.
“My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn’t think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. 27 But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame. 28 What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important.” I Corinthians 1:26-28 CEV
We should make it our goal to be an influencer of love and forgiveness. Be gracious in how we treat others. If we touch just one person’s life today with the love of God and they touch one person’s life tomorrow, we will be making an impact that will change the world!