Garry asked us tonight if we had heard of Mordecai Ham. Most of us had not. All of us, however, had heard of Billy Graham, the famous American evangelist who recently died. Mordecai Ham was a Baptist evangelist whose influence on Billy Graham was profound.
We do not always see the influence we have on other people and can feel that we are insignificant and unimportant. Not all of us are kings or queens, or even mildly famous. But all of us have an influence on others – the power to affect people’s lives for good or for ill. Every parent is entrusted with a profound influence, for our children are precious gifts from God. Every person will meet many people throughout their lives – some in person, some through social media, some through other means. We have the capacity to influence many people and to affect them, being light and salt in the world. Our attitudes, our faith, our hope, our words and our actions all have the potential to influence others.
Peer pressure is a powerful thing; like Israel, we can want to be like everyone else. Their values, attitudes and influences can shape our lives. Those who spend time in the presence of God will inevitably be more influenced by God than by the world around them. We are transformed into the image of that which we worship. Let us worship God and allow His influence to influence us, so that our influence can then influence others for His glory.
