The most successful people I know have discovered one thing that gives them an advantage over almost everyone else. Successful people recognize and leverage their influence.
Influence is “the power to change or affect someone or something.” Obviously, the ability to change or affect someone is a powerful thing! Influence can be used for good or evil.
Examples of world leaders who used their influence for evil abound, Mao, Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, and Idi Amin, to name a few modern-day examples.
Prominent examples of people who used their influence for good include Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Sister Teresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Whether someone uses their influence for good or evil depends on the individual. For Christians, the answer to whether to use our influence for good or evil is simple; God called us to use our influence for good.
Our Unique Purpose Combines with Our Influence
God made each of us with a unique purpose, and with that unique purpose comes the responsibility to use our influence as God intended.
And how does God intend for us to use our influence? He told us plainly in Matthew 5:14-16:
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
God intends us to use our light (our influence) in a way that glorifies God. In other words, we are to use our influence to build up the Kingdom of God and His people.
One person who used his influence the way God intended was Daniel (Daniel 1). Daniel was committed to obeying God’s law even as a young man. As such, Daniel refused to eat the rich food the King of Babylon provided, asking instead for a simple diet prescribed by God for the Jewish people. In so doing, Daniel influenced not only his friends but members of the king’s court and the king himself.
Most of us will never have the opportunity to influence kings, but we all can use our influence for God’s purposes with our families, friends, and coworkers.
Building Your Influence Plan
Most people, myself included, spend little time thinking about our influence. We never capitalize on this vital gift from God nor leverage it in the way that God intends.
To capitalize on our influence, we need to think strategically and purposefully about where and how our influence make a difference for the people of God and His Kingdom!
We need an influence plan!
The good news is, building an influence plan isn’t that hard; it just takes some strategic and purposeful thought. We need to think about our influence intentionally.
Here are four steps to get you started on building your influence plan.
1. Who Is in Your Sphere of Influence?
The first step in creating an influence plan intentionally is to consider who is in your sphere of influence. You influence your immediate and extended family, coworkers, close friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and even folks you meet casually for a few minutes in the store.
2. Prioritize
Your influence is felt the most with people with whom you have the closest relationships and with those you spend the most time. So, prioritize your influence plan by thinking strategically about the people most important in your life where your influence is likely to be the greatest.
3. How Do You Influence?
We must become intentional about our influence and how we use it. Here are four simple, practical actions that will grow your influence as you build up others and the Kingdom of God.
- It’s the easiest thing to do, and everyone can do it. Smiling at someone almost always generates a smile in return. Your smile just influenced someone else to smile!
- Speak Up. The Bible frequently speaks about our responsibility to defend the weak, the powerless, widows, and orphans. We are also called to proclaim our faith and relationship with Christ boldly.
- People respond to people who demonstrate genuine care for them. Whether it is emotional support, encouragement, or simple acts of kindness, caring opens the door for your influence in their lives.
- Your influence increases whenever you help others in need through acts of service. Acts of service take many forms, from simple momentary acts to projects requiring an ongoing commitment. You serve others when you hold a door open for someone juggling a load of packages or serving as an usher at church. You also serve others by feeding the homeless or repairing an older person’s home. There is no end to the ways we can serve others.
4. Leverage Your Influence
It doesn’t matter what stage of life you are in; it’s never too late to recognize and leverage your influence! The desire to leverage your influence may seem selfish, even arrogant, but it is not because we are not doing it for our benefit. Remember, as Christians, we are called to use our influence to build others up to the benefit of the Kingdom of God.
To be a light to the world in a way that draws others to the Father, we must be strategic and intentional as we leverage our influence for good.
So, let’s all make a plan to influence others in a way that builds up the Kingdom of God!
- By thinking about who is in our sphere of influence. It is broader than we think!
- Then, prioritize our influence efforts with those most important in our lives and where we have the most significant influence.
- Execute our plan by acting in ways that expand our influence. It may be as simple as a tender smile, speaking up for the powerless, caring for the hurting, or serving someone in need.
- Influence expands every time we act. So, let’s leverage our influence for others and build up the Kingdom by taking every opportunity to use the gift of influence God gave us the way He intended!
Discussion Questions
These questions can serve as a useful framework for guiding a thoughtful and engaging discussion about the article and how its insights and perspectives apply to our lives today.
- What is influence, and how can it be used for good or evil?
- Why is it important for Christians to use their influence for good?
- What is an influence plan, and why is it essential to have one?
- What are some practical actions that can help increase one’s influence?
- How can one leverage their influence to build up the Kingdom of God?
More Articles
I have written several articles on this topic. You can find them by typing “power and influence” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are five of my favorites.
- #503: 4 Leadership Lessons from Jesus’ Performance Reviews
- #476: Your Light in The Workplace Has Never Been More Important Than Right Now!
- #445: Is Our Prosperity an Indication of God’s Blessing on Our Country?
- #404: Are Power and Influence Important to You?
- #402: Is Good Leadership More Than the Exercise of Power?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. How do you leverage your influence to build up others and the Kingdom of God?
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Category: Relationships | Power/Influence
In an age of shallow social influencers, this is a good reminder to think about how best to use whatever influence you have. I try to convey positivity, hope, grace, and life lessons in my written work.