Wednesday-Influence

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

1 Peter 3:15,16

Whether it’s the kind of underarm deodorant we use, or who to vote for, lots of people are trying to influence you and me. It is estimated that over $1 trillion dollars will be spent on advertising worldwide in 2024. That’s about $125 for every man, woman, and child on the planet. Here in the US, over $1,020 is spent on every person.

All sorts of people from all over the world are trying to influence us. They want to do more than just make us think or feel a certain way. The purpose of influence is much more than just trying to get a certain thought into our heads. Influence has one goal, and that’s to change the way we act.

So, when Peter tells the early church how to influence their community, he gives them four things to do each and every day. But unlike us, there’s not a single word said about sending emails or text messages around the world. Instead, these are things that all of us can and must do.

• Christ as Lord. The very first point that Peter writes is about the most important thing in life. The question isn’t if Jesus is your Savior but is he your Lord? Have we given Jesus’ permission to tell us what’s right and then to do it? I didn’t say that there might be times when we’re not following our Lord. The question is whether we’ve made a one-time commitment to give him the right to control our lives, and then are we following up on that commitment. No matter what the latest craze is on the internet, or what the most popular person on the planet says, we’ve made a decision to follow what Jesus says all the days of our lives.

• Always be prepared. Some people live with their hands ready to press the panic button of life. No matter what happens, they go off the deep end. Everything is going badly. Everyone is against them. They have a very negative view of life. But Peter tells his readers and us not to stand read with a negative attitude, but to stand ready to face the problems of life head on. If Jesus is our Lord, then nothing in this life is unexpected or unplanned to him. It’s like standing in line at the deli counter. You’ve taken your number and are waiting your turn. You watch as the numbers on the wall get closer and closer to the one you’re holding in your hand. When it's the number just before yours, you move closer in anticipation of getting the lunchmeats you want.

• Answers to asking. This isn’t a very popular question to bring up, but I’m asking it about myself. And I’m humbly asking you to think about it too. Is the kind of life we’re experiencing make people come up and ask us about what makes us tick? Do they see in us a kind of life that they’ve not been able to live? People don’t ask questions unless they want answers. They won’t be bothered to go to all the trouble of coming up with a question unless there’s a real curiosity about something they want to personally experience. In a sense, the way we live has made them envious of our life and want to know how we do it. What are the secrets to living like we do. They’re willing to risk asking a question so they can enjoy the kind of life we’re experiencing. They’ll see us living in peace as we walk through the dailyness of life. Or, when we’re in the middle of tragedy, they’ll just sit and wonder how we do it. So, are we living the kind of life that makes people ask us questions?

• Reason for hope. Notice what Peter doesn’t say. Hope isn’t some kind of fluffy feeling that’s out there, somewhere. Hope isn’t something that somehow just comes over us out of nowhere. And just like it’s coming, hope then disappears just as quickly. No, the kind of hope that Peter’s talking about is based on our ability to explain the reason for it. The best way to explain the reason for something is to use words. We need to be able to quickly and clearly have words that point people to the person of Jesus and how he’s changed our life. How his one-time payment for all sin; past, present, and future has freed us from guilt and shame. How his resurrection has given us hope for today and tomorrow.

Our lives are to be like that of Daniel[1]. When people saw Daniel, they saw someone who was very different from everyone else. Others might have been looking for the easy way out, but Daniel wasn’t afraid to put in the extra effort to do it right. If he had been in the military, his shoes would have been the brightest, his brass buttons would have been polished so well that you could see your face in them.

So, how attractive are our lives to the people around us? We’re not trying to attract attention to us, but in one way we are trying to draw attention to Jesus. We want to live lives that show the love of God in everything we do. God wants you and me to be people of influence. People that draw attention to the fact that we’re not all that special, but that we worship and serve a God who’s so very special. So very loving and kind. Are our lives drawing attention to Jesus in a good way? How are our words, thoughts, actions, and attitudes influencing the people around us? Are they pulled towards Jesus by our live? Or are our lives pushing people away from our God and Savior? It’s a serious question that deserves some serious thinking. Confession. Repentance.

Noodling Questions

• Which of the four things listed by Peter is the easiest for you? Explain.

• Which of the four things listed by Peter is the most difficult for you? Explain.

• Describe someone who’s life that makes people ask questions.

[1] Daniel 6:3