We’re living in an age of influencers.

Social media influencers. Brand ambassadors. YouTube celebrities. These are job titles that didn’t exist ten years ago. 

And right about now, you might be thinking that this particular blog post doesn’t relate to you. You might think you’re not an influencer. You don’t have many social media followers, and the followers you do have are people you actually know in real life.

But I’m here to tell you that even if you don’t have a social media account at all, you’re an influencer. Your life influences the lives of others. Your life choices affect others, whether you intend for them to or not.

That’s right. We don’t have a choice in the matter. We are ALL influencers.

And if we consider ourselves to be followers of Jesus, we need to be aware of how our actions and opinions can influence the way others see our Savior. After all, we are representatives of the kingdom of God. 

Paul made a pretty big deal in a few of his New Testament letters about not causing others to stumble because of our choices. In Romans 14:1-3, he wrote, “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.” 

So basically, it’s okay if we as Christians interpret matters in different ways. But in verse 13, Paul went on to say, “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”

It’s more than not judging each other. It’s a matter of monitoring our lifestyles so we don’t cause others to stumble. In a similar passage in 1 Corinthians 8:9 and 13, Paul wrote, “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak… Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.”

Paul cared so much about his influence on his brothers and sisters in Christ that he would’ve given up meat for the rest of his life just to avoid causing them to stumble. 

I believe the same is true whether we’re talking about our brothers and sisters in Christ or our neighbors who don’t follow Jesus. We need to be careful what our actions and opinions as Christians say to the outside world. We need to be aware of how we are representing God to His creation.

Sometimes, I think Christians come off as really harsh, with strong opinions about debates that aren’t exactly black-and-white. Take arguments on either side of the political spectrum, for example. It’s dangerous when we, as Christians, start treating the opposite political party (whether that’s Democrats or Republicans) as if they can’t possibly know Jesus. Isn’t life more than political parties? Isn’t faith so much greater than politics? Should our political opinions cause others to stumble and doubt their faith or the truth of faith in general?

That’s just one example. 

But friends, our opinions matter. The way we talk about things matters. Our actions matter. 

Because we are influencers for Jesus Christ.

I’m not saying it’s not okay to be passionate. I’m passionate about certain issues. But let’s be careful. Let’s be aware of those around us and how they might be influenced by our words. Let’s keep Jesus at the center of our thoughts and actions, like he should be.

Let’s prioritize the kingdom over our personal agendas.

And never forget… you are onederfully created in Christ.

Love,
Becca