Influence

Jesus described Himself as the light of the world and told His disciples that they are the light of the world - that is because He lives in us. Ephesians 5 challenges us to allow the presence of the risen Lord to shine through us, when it says:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

There is a new role that we have seen emerge in our culture, a position of power that moves especially those in younger generations.  Performing in that role are communicators who are skilled not only with the word, but they are also surrounded with the technology to disseminate their views on a widespread basis. 

They are the social media influencers. 

While we must be discerning regarding the theological accuracy of these new types of communicators, we can also hopeful regarding the platform that God has provided for them. 

Crosswalk Headlines published a piece recently about some of these Christian influencers.  I am not necessarily endorsing any of them, but I do want to make you aware of this exciting new front in Christian communication.

There's Ally Yost, the host of the podcast, Christ With Coffee On Ice, which is described as a "new Jesus-loving podcast where you are encouraged to come exactly as you are. No matter your relationship with God, we welcome ALL - messy or put together. Our host, Ally Yost, has made it her mission to spread God's love and encouragement through this podcast."

Carew Ellington hosts The Secret Place podcast. It's described on Spotify in this way: "We live in a generation that is more focused on posting about Jesus than actually knowing Him. What would life look like if talking about Jesus and serving others came from the overflow and not a way to feel better about ourselves? The Bible tells us the key to this kind of peace...The Secret Place Podcast is the thoughts, ideas, and revelations God gives me in my time with Him. Are you ready to go deeper?"

Also, the article described Ashley Hetherington as "the founder of The Honey Scoop blog and a Christian content creator..." She has authored multiple books, and a description of her latest book states: "Are you sick of waiting for your 'real' life to begin? This joy-filled daily devotional offers the abundant peace that comes when you place your trust in God's plan and start living today—from the founder of the Honey Scoop..."

I believe that I have mentioned Bryce Crawford before - he received news coverage recently for posting a conversation with a Satanist. On YouTube, he related: "My name is Bryce Crawford, and I am a full-time missionary in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from high school recently, the main question a young person asks is, 'What do I do?' After prayer and seeking Jesus, the Lord called me out to do full-time ministry in Los Angeles." 

Finally, there's Emy Moore, who hosts the Saved Not Soft podcast, described in this way: "Navigating the Christian lifestyle is beyond challenging, especially facing the obstacles of today's world...Each week, we'll be diving into topics of; how to rise up from culture, modeling Christ to others, theology, hot topics and much more! Buckle up with your host, Emy Moore; we're going on a fruitful journey!"

These are individuals who have chosen to take hold of the circumstances around them and allowed God to establish a platform for them.  The question for each of us can be: to what platform is God calling you?  Not necessarily a podcast or a blog or even having a major presence of social media.  But, we are all placed in positions of influence. 

Not everyone is called to teach or to speak publicly - but we all have a story, a testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives.  That story is on display every single day.  We should always be conscientious of how we are radiating Christ in our everyday actions and interactions, humbling ourselves before the Lord so that when people look at us and encounter us, they can see the presence of Christ.