Who Are You Teaching to Follow?

Reflection

When I was younger, I loved dancing. I would watch the older people who knew all the latest moves and try to mimic them. Then there were the dance shows and music videos that introduced us to the newest trends, and before long, we were trying those moves too. Looking back, I realize how much we love to replicate the things that interest us. If we like what we see, we often want to learn it, imitate it, and eventually make it our own.

It really starts when we are young. From the time we are babies, we are watching the people around us. We listen to the words they say, watch what they do, and eventually begin trying to speak and act like them. As we grow, that influence doesn't stop. We begin looking around to see what we can do, what is acceptable, what is expected, and where our boundaries are. We look to our parents, teachers, leaders, friends, and society to help shape our understanding of the world.

The Power of Subtle Influence

Influence is something we may take lightly, but it can have a tremendous effect on us. We may think we are simply watching, listening, or taking part in what everyone else is doing, but little by little, those things can begin to shape what we believe is normal. What we repeatedly see can become what we imitate, and what we imitate can eventually become part of who we are.

King Ahaz is a sobering example of what can happen when influence is used in the wrong direction. He did not restrain himself in his rebellion against God, and his actions affected far more than his own life. Scripture tells us that because of Ahaz, Judah was brought low and the people transgressed against the Lord. A king who should have been leading the people toward God instead became part of the reason they moved further away from Him.

We are going to influence people whether we realize it or not—what kind of influence are we becoming?

Who Is Watching You?

That makes me stop and think about influence in a different way. We usually think about the people who influence us, but what about the people who are watching us? We are all following someone, but there may also be someone following us. Someone may be watching how we respond when we are angry, how we speak when we are frustrated, how we handle temptation, how we treat people, or how we respond when life doesn't go the way we want it to.

Paul understood this responsibility. He told the Corinthians, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul wasn't asking people to follow him simply because he was Paul. He pointed them beyond himself to Christ. His example mattered because he was trying to imitate Jesus.

Examining Our Own Heart

That is the difference I want to remember. We are going to influence people whether we realize it or not, so the question is not simply whether we are an influence. The question is, what kind of influence are we becoming? If someone followed our example, where would it lead them?

That question can be uncomfortable because none of us gets everything right. I know I have things in my own life that I would not want someone else to imitate. Yet that doesn't mean we ignore our influence. It means we bring our lives before Christ and allow Him to change the things that need changing.

Maybe we need to think about who we are watching, too. Who has become a model for the way we speak, think, behave, or make decisions? Are we simply copying what is popular, or are we looking to people whose lives point us toward Christ? We should be careful about who we allow to shape our understanding of what is acceptable because influence does not always announce itself. Sometimes it happens quietly, one example at a time.

Examine the example you set—
Follow Christ and lead others closer to Him.

Before You Go

Someone is watching you, even if you don't know it. It may be a child, a friend, a family member, a coworker, or someone who simply sees the way you live from a distance. Your life is an example whether you intend for it to be or not, so let the direction of your life point people toward Jesus. Keep following Him and allow Him to shape the person you are becoming.

And remember, you are watching others too. Be intentional about the examples you allow to speak into your life. When you find someone whose life consistently points you toward Christ, pay attention. Learn from them, but keep your eyes on Jesus, because He is the One we are ultimately called to follow.