Thoughtful Thursday: Influential Influence - Denise Pass
by | Feb 25, 2016 | Believers, blessings, Body of Christ, calling, Chosen, Christian, Christian Encouragement, Christianity, counselor, Count Your Blessings, culture, Deeds, Discipline, Fault, Flesh, God, Gratitude, Healing, heals, Holy Spirit, Hope, Humility, inspiration, Israelites, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jewish, Joy, Joyful living, Justice, Kindness, knowing God, Leadership, legal battles, Life, Lord, Love, materialism, Matters, Mental Health, Mercy, Ministry, Moral, Peace, Peer Pressure, Perspective, Philosophy, Positive Thinking, Praise, Principles, Promises, psychology, Purity, Purpose, Radical faith, Recovery, Relationship, Religion, Resolutions, revelation, Salvation, satisfaction, Self-help, Spiritual, Teaching, Temptation, Thankfulness, Theology, Truth, Uncategorized, Victorious Christian Living, wisdom, Worldview |
Inspirational Thought of the Day:
Our battle is not fleshly, but spiritual.
Scriptures of the Day:
1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
Romans 12:12
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
2 Timothy 3:1-6
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
Ephesians 2:1-2
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
One verse my children know well as it was a mantra repeated continuously in their childhood was 1 Corinthians 15:33. It was challenging to strike a balance between warning them about being influenced by ungodly people around them and not judging them, either.
Much like the Israelites had to be reminded to write God’s word down and keep it before them, we need reminders to be aware of the influences all around us.
Most of us do not pause to perceive why we are feeling a certain way about another person or circumstance. We casually give in to the emotions, unchecked unless we ask God for discernment to see the spiritual influence all around us.
The prince of the spirit of the air is busy. So are our minds, with over 2100-3000 thoughts per hour going through them. Keeping track and being accountable for all of those thoughts is overwhelming.
But when we study God’s Word and surround ourselves with godly influences, the sorting of wicked and godly influences becomes easier. God has made a way out and He will show us what is pleasing to Him and what is not. The choice is ours. There is no middle ground. Life or death. Righteousness or wickedness.
Apathy is not the answer, self-righteousness is not the answer. There are absolute standards that God has set. We are accountable.
Choosing to abstain from bad influences is not enough, though. Keeping oneself unsoiled is not the same as becoming a source of godly influences for those around us. We are a light not because we have anything inherently good in us, but because we have the light of the world within us and He is good and able to use us for righteousness.
Lord, help us to be an influence on those around us that draws people nearer to You. Help us to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world and to live for Your glory.
