A Stream of Influence

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,  and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
II Timothy 2:1-2

     Every person wants, in one way or another, to be influential. Some have vision and hopes to be influential in vast and visible ways, while still others are content to be influential in smaller ways. No influence is insignificant. In the means of history, life could really be seen as a series of influences. It is a series of influential moments, influential sayings, and influential examples that got you to where you are in life. Influence is also tempered by aptitude, or appreciation – but still, nothing comes from nowhere. If you consult any work of academia, any major publishing of literature, any piece of artwork or music, you can detect the stream of influence.
     So, the question is not whether influence plays a part in your life, the question is how aware are you of your position in the stream of influence? Each person both imparts and receives influence. The scripture above brings that concept into the sphere of Christian living. Paul says to younger Timothy, “You have learned and heard from me – you have been influenced by my teaching…” Timothy would not have denied this. He was a “son in the faith” to Paul. Yet, simply because Timothy was still in the place of being influenced, that did not preclude him from being an influence.
     Paul called him to “entrust to faithful men” the teaching that was being passed down. Those faithful men would be able to “teach others also,” and the stream of influence would continue. And it has continued. If you are a Christian, you are a product of the means of influence. Now, our influence as Christians is informed by the scripture, and empowered by the Spirit – but God still works through human means. You know what you know about God and His Word because someone began to teach you. You have grown in your faith through the Word and the Spirit, but much of that has included the work of pastors, teachers, authors, theologians, friends, family, music, etc. You take interest in spiritual things, at least in one sense, because of the examples or influences you have had in your life to do so. Nothing happens in a vacuum – there are no “desert island” Christians.
     So, how aware are you of your position in the path of influence? That plays out in two main ways. First: in the sphere of your walk with Christ, who is your influence? I remember hearing the late R.C. Sproul say something to the effect of, “I always have to know that there is someone walking a few steps ahead of me on the journey.” That is, there is someone who has gone on before. Someone who is in the role of the teacher, the example, the influencer. God has made us to thrive and grow based on our interactions with others. Who is influencing you in the ways of Christ? Yes, every human except Christ has feet of clay – but God works through imperfect people, and we can take great comfort and encouragement by learning from other Disciples of Christ.
     Second: who are you influencing in the ways of Christ? If you are a parent, are you actively seeking to pass the Gospel, the truth of Christ, and the scriptures on to your children? If you are a student, are you spreading the transformational truths of Jesus to your peers? If you are a church member, are you fulfilling your role to edify and provoke your fellow Christians to love and good works? If you are a pastor, a teacher, an evangelist, are you influencing your audience with the grace-filled, spirit-empowered message of the Gospel, or are you simply influencing with your own wisdom?
     It is both awe-inspiring and terrifying to think that we have the ability and the privilege to teach others. That God works through human means is a picture of his grace and patience. If you are a child of God, he wants to use you to proclaim his name and glory. If you are a disciple of Christ, he wants to use you to live, breath, and speak the Gospel into others lives. And the inverse is also true. If you are a child of God, and a disciple of Christ, then he has placed people in your life for the purpose of learning and edification. Don’t squander the influences God has placed in your path. And always be mindful of where you are in that path as well.
 
With humility,
Pastor Aaron Frost
April 30, 2021