Hellooo,
ladies and gents! I know influence is such a craved/talked about subject these days.
-How would you define influence?
Merriam Webster says, "influence is the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways." I wouldn't classify myself as an "influencer" sometimes because compared to people with a million followers I am NOT influential haha. But who are we to say what's influential and what's not? Influence is the "capacity to cause an effect in intangible ways." Intangible literally means "not having physical presence."
So, if I do not have influence that is seen by everyone then that is intangible, literally part of the definition hah. Influencing someone is simply swaying the way they learn or think about something! It does not have to be some big or fancy "official" thing, it is the mundane night and day way we treat people. It is not always seen or heard, just present in the things underneath the surface.
Chick-fil-A workers have influence for people to be more kind, Starbucks baristas have influence on people to make coffee really really fast haha. What do you have influence in? Okay, I'll go first. I have influence in my family, I get to love my family as much like Jesus as I can every day. I get to be accepting of our differences and celebrate everyone's success' even when I am not in my most celebrated season of life. I get to lead my friends, I get to show them sacrificial love in my time, my energy, my money. I get to listen well to my friends and in turn learn to listen better from them. I pray I can impact my friends half as much as they impact me. And lastly, I get to influence to all 32.8K of an instagram following, I know that's not a ton, but I can still influence with what I am given.
It is not about getting MORE influence, it is about stewarding what The Lord has given you. Not to say you will gain followers on insta or have way more friends just because you love people well, just stating that we are to be where The Lord has us and do our best to look like Him wherever that may be!!
I think IG influencers sometimes feel like they cannot say certain things they believe in because they do not want to lose followers (me sometimes I hate to admit it!!). But like we shouldn't just influence for cute boutiques, hair product brands and skin care routines right? There is SO much more to each person than that. YES do a good job of representing the brands you are working with, but at the same time I want someone to be impacted by my thinking! my morals! my character! the Christ IN ME! I want someone to see my life as different, not another skimpily dressed model who only uses rap lyrics as captions! This is not at anyone, I love people who post cute Pinterest worthy outfits, but we are not here for clout people.
We have to know and realize whether we have followers or not our influence goes so far beyond social medias also!! Look at your family, your friends, your coworkers, your circle, invest in them, pray for them, be the best lover, not out of competition but out of a drive to love and look more like Jesus.
Thanking Jesus that we ALL get to live influential and purpose FILLED lives y'all!
das alll hehe,
blessings, Kat
"Your energy is currency, spend it well, invest it wisely." -Pinterest.
Isaiah 52:7-10
The Message
7-10 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger bringing good news, Breaking the news that all’s well, proclaiming good times, announcing salvation, telling Zion, “Your God reigns!” Voices! Listen! Your scouts are shouting, thunderclap shouts, shouting in joyful unison. They see with their own eyes God coming back to Zion. Break into song! Boom it out, ruins of Jerusalem: “God has comforted his people! He’s redeemed Jerusalem!” God has rolled up his sleeves. All the nations can see his holy, muscled arm. Everyone, from one end of the earth to the other, sees him at work, doing his salvation work.