Influencer

Men – will we be an influence to others, thus becoming an influencer?
Can we develop a desire to be an influencer? 
Can we learn how to be an influencer?
Do we want to be an influencer for others? 

We would surely want to be a proper influencer for our children!
We would want to influence our families!

Under ‘leadership skills’ one fines that influence would be a critical component of it. 

Quote by John Quincy Adams on ‘influence’”
Influence is a critical component of leadership. Those we train to be leaders must understand the significant role influence plays in leading people. Because people respond much more readily to those they trust, effective leaders must spend a great deal of time gaining the trust of the people they want to influence. Influence is a by-product of trust.

Influence is the power to affect others positively or negatively. Everybody has some influence, but the scope may vary. Some people influence thousands, some dozens, others only one or two. It is not the scope but the significance of the effects that matter. Never allow yourself or the people you teach to ask, “Do I have influence?” They do! Instead they should ask, “How will I utilize the influence I have?”

The goal of being an effective leader is to have positive influence. We are to involve ourselves in the lives of others in such a way that we can enable them to realize their full potential, a potential that is ultimately rooted in Jesus Christ. Our influence can and should draw this out of them. Leadership is a form of discipleship. We influence others so that they might influence those with whom we may never come in contact.

How we influence seems to be in two ways:  (1) Influence is who we are, not what we do, and (2) influence is a choice, not a chance

The Bible instructs that we are to pay close attention to ourselves.  Meaning we need to be aware of what we do and the influence it may or may not have on others around us. 

1 Timothy 4:16(ESV)
¹⁶Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Paul said to become imitators of me as I am of Christ.  –  1 Corinthians 11:1(ESV)   –  ¹Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:14(ESV)
¹⁴For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 

There are things one can do:

1.      Put more into life than you take out.

2.      Have a singleness of purpose

3.      Develop deep integrity –  The deeper your private life, the stronger your public life. 
1 John 4:4(ESV)⁴Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 

4.     Strive for proper motivation

Influence is a choice and not a matter of chance.  Example would be Daniel and his life in Babylon captivity.  He was in the court of the king and yet maintained his choice of doing as God’s will was for him and true believers.

Daniel 1:1-4(ESV)
¹In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 
²And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 
³Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family^£and of the nobility, 
⁴youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 

Verse 4 described him and that his companions were ‘without blemish… skillful in all wisdom…had knowledge and understanding…etc.

Daniel’s stand on things would be an influence to people in the court of his day.

Daniel 1:10(ESV)
¹⁰and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 

Looking in the book of Acts for are examples of Infusers:

Generous:  Acts 4:37(ESV) – ³⁷sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Believed the best in people:  Acts 9:27(ESV) – ²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 

 Encourage people:  Acts 11:22-23(ESV)  –  ²²The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.   ²³When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 

 Invest of self in others:  Acts 11:25-30(ESV)  – ⁵So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 
²⁶and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
²⁷Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 
²⁸And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 
²⁹So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers^£living in Judea. 
³⁰And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.