You are an influencer
When we’re younger, we are often asked the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up” Some people’s answers have changed from the first time they were asked that. Some people have never wavered and are pursing the career path they dreamed about. Some may have gotten discouraged along the way and either have no clue what career path they want to pursue or have given up completely.
What if I told you we were given a career before we were even born? What if I could tell you the purpose for your life?
What is it, you ask?
… You are an influencer for Christ.
Because of social media, many people understand the importance of marketing and more specifically, digital marketing as we dive deeper into the era of technology. There’s a category of marketing called influencer marketing, which is when a brand finds people of status that agree with their brand’s values and has a relationship with the audience the brand is trying to reach. The brand will pay the influencer for promoting their products on their channel. Influencers must be conscientious about displaying an image that disagrees with the brand’s values. We have witnessed various influencers and even celebrities dropped by different companies because their actions created a conflict of interest. Moreover, this usually occurs when an influencer either said or acted in a way that garnered mass criticism and judgment from the public, which inevitably affects influencers’ reputation on social media and in their lives.
In the Life Application Bible, the note from Judges 1:2-20 reads: “In order for our faith to survive, it must be practiced day by day and reach into every aspect of our lives. Beware of starting strong and then getting sidetracked from your real purpose – loving God and living for him.” Moreover, 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 says: “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[d] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
Christians’ job as influencers is THE MOST IMPORTANT job we will ever have. The way we live, act, treat others, have fun and more is a testament to how others should live. Because we are influencers, ambassadors for Christ, we have the responsibility of inviting God into EVERYTHING we do. How do we represent God on the job, in our families, in the world? Is the job industry we’re in glorifying God? Through our actions, we can point people to Jesus. Through our speech, we can point people to Jesus. Matthew 5:14-16 says: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
We should constantly point people to Jesus, the perfect being that can save them. We must boldly tell our testimonies of what God has brought us from to inspire and encourage others. Nonbelievers’ lives depend on us. Lukewarm Christians’ lives depend on us. Other Christians’ lives depend on us.
How can we become a better influencer/ambassador for Christ? We must read His word and apply it to our lives. We must put away things that aren’t pleasing to Him. We must believe God is the ONLY source and act as such. We must walk this Earth the way God tells us to. We must receive the Holy Spirit.
We must do these things not because there’s a reward of Heaven on the other side, but because our hearts desire to please our Father. If our hearts aren’t in it, what we do for God doesn’t matter. Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT) says: “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”
Therefore, let’s surrender our hearts and minds to God so we can fulfill our true purpose in life – being an influencer for Christ.
