Did you know that there is always someone watching you? This is true if you have ever had a friend, a cousin, a neighbor, a brother, a son, a niece a…well you get the picture.

Being a leader and a person of influence is a life goal for many Christians. Some however, make the mistake of surrounding themselves with people who fit the description instead of being one themselves, not realizing that someone is always looking up to them.

There is an enormous difference between being something and surrounding yourself with those that are that something. Only one of these requires making a personal decision. I say this because it’s not who you can surround yourself with and what books you read. It’s how well you know God personally and how close you are to Him that determines your type of influence on others.

You can’t know God truly through others. So how can you imitate someone you don’t even know? God is someone you must seek and get to know yourself.

There are many examples of people in the bible that were well aware of this. Aware that their actions and leadership roles would affect those around them. They knew that in order to be that example they needed to know God personally themselves. Moses for example, was of great influence to Joshua. It was because of Moses and God’s guidance that Joshua had the courage to do great things. Or David and Jonathan, who always influenced each other to be better everyday.

More importantly we can learn from the best influence, Jesus Christ who from a young age sought the word of God and was a great example to even his own parents.

Luke 2:48-52 “When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you”. ”Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

So, who is watching you? and what type of influence are you being?

Filed under: Devotionals, Reflections by Ruth Palacios