influence

Manipulated

Valerie Cullers 9 Comments

“Go ahead and hate your neighbor. Go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of heaven, you can justify it in the end.” (From the song, “One Tin Soldier”)

Last evening, I went for a walk with my neighbor. She was talking about how she was cornered by a person at a gathering. This person asked who she was going to vote for. My neighbor said, “That’s my business.” We can all agree the person asked an impertinent question. Who we vote for is entirely our own business, but my neighbor felt pressured by this woman/ who is rabid about her politics. My neighbor is not a party person. She votes for the person she thinks will best do the job. She does not want to be intimidated by people or put into a box to be checked about which party she belongs to.

I think we can all relate to how my neighbor feels. We live in a climate where the media and influencers like to cause a rift or division among people because of their political views. You see, if people are busy hating their neighbor because of their political views, they will not look up and really evaluate what is happening in the government. A good, hard look at the activity or inactivity in Congress is a real eye-opener.

As citizens in this society, we must not fall for this manipulation. I grew up in a time when Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass bills in the House and Senate. The good of the country or state was more important than taking a hard line on issues and refusing to work for a compromise that would get the problems solved. We now live in a time where political gridlock is par for the course, and citizens are supposed to accept this inaction as normative.

Let’s wake up to this societal manipulation. Quit listening to media influencers who denigrate the people in the opposing political party. The majority of Americans have similar concerns about most of the important issues. How we address those concerns should include both sides of the political equation having a say in the solution.

Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And yes, that includes the neighbor who has a Trump – Vance or Harris – Walz sign up on their lawn. Don’t fall prey to the notion that we should denigrate those who hold a different political view than we do.

Photo by Beasternchen. Courtesy of Pixabay.

He Didn’t Have a Cell Phone

Valerie Cullers 19 Comments

Have you ever thought about the influence that Jesus had? He was born in a small town in an occupied country. His family was not wealthy and had no elevated social standing. He only had a ministry for three years, and yet He had more influence on the world than anyone who ever lived.

We know that He was the Son of God and taught truths that went counter to the world He lived in. We know that He performed miracles and attracted thousands who came to hear Him and be touched by Him. He was The Ultimate Influencer and yet, he had no social media footprint.  He did not have a cell phone and was not on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. 

What He did have was right priorities. He knew that in order to influence others, He must spend quality time with the Father. We read in Scripture that early in the morning, He would go out to a lonely place to pray. There, He learned the Father’s will, heard the Father’s words, and was filled and empowered by the Spirit of God.

He did not seek the attention of the crowds. He chose twelve men whom He could pour His life into and spent three years living with them and teaching them. He was not interested in the number of  His followers because He knew what was in men’s hearts. He knew they were fickle and would follow Him one day and be gone the next.

There’s a lesson here for those of us who wish to influence others towards a deeper relationship with Christ. We must do as He did. We must spend time, real time, with the Father, and learn His will through reading His word. We must not focus on the number of followers we have but choose to invest our time, energy, and words with those who are really interested in going deeper with Christ. Followers, as Jesus knew, will eventually come and go. We must follow His example and seek to do the will of God, in the power of God, for the purposes of God, in order to have real, meaningful influence in the world. 

Photo by Dorothee’ Quennesson. Courtesy of Pixabay

How Far Will Your Influence Go?

Valerie Cullers 32 Comments

There are some specific things that I have heard over the years that stick in my mind. They make me think about them and ponder them for a long time. One of these is about influence. 

influencers-3151032_640                                                       photo by ElisaRiva courtesy of Pixabay.

I heard a pastor speaking about the final judgment. He said people will be judged not just by their works but by the influence they had on others. He spoke about how some people’s influence will last generations and affect thousands or millions of people. I have thought about that a lot.

We all have a level of influence on others’ lives. Maybe it is our family, the people we work around, the students we teach, our friends; we will influence them. There are times in our lives when we will have greater influence than at other times.

When we are given a public platform of one kind or another, our influence grows. Whether we are a speaker, writer, actor, or a pastor, we begin to influence a greater number of people than before. We need to think about that, because with influence comes responsibility and ultimately accountability before God. We can influence people in a positive direction or in a negative one.

If we are writers, think about Mein Kampf. How many people has it influenced over the decades, and what did people do with that influence? How many millions of lives were taken because people read that book and believed what it said? Conversely, what is the most positive book you have ever read? How did it influence you and change your thinking? Were you able to apply that positive influence into your own life?

As writers we will write thousands or millions of words that others will read. What kind of influence are we having over the people that read them? Are we leading them in a positive or negative direction? Are we writing things solely for our own ends or material enrichment? Do we really care about the people reading the things we write? We need to think about it and not just blow it off casually, it really does matter.

Influence…we all have it. The question is, “What are we going to do with it?”

“Verba Volant, Scripta Manent”

Valerie Cullers 31 Comments

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“SPOKEN WORDS FLY AWAY, WRITTEN WORDS REMAIN”

Most of us have heard this expression in a more modern version: “Spoken words are like the air, written words are forever there.” Either way, the expression gives us something to reflect on. Those of us who have the privilege of writing in the public arena should think about the effect our words will have on those reading them.

Whether we are writing to educate, inform, entertain or just express our opinion, our words will have an influence on others. Proverbs 18:21 says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” I view the pen (or the keyboard) as an extension of our tongue. We are either bringing something negative (death) to our readers or we are bringing something positive (life) to those who read our words.

I consider this a heavy responsibility. Our followers live in many different countries and are of different ages. We have no idea what their living conditions are and what they are going through at the time they read the things we write. We need to be thoughtful about what we post on our blogs and on others’ blogs as well.

Have you ever Googled your name? If you do, you will be surprised to see your comments on the internet for everyone to see. When people read those comments, they will get to know a little bit about you and who you are. Now, in the age of the internet, this expression is even more true…”our words are forever there.” Who knows who will be reading them in the future…prospective employers or possibly committee members who will be deciding on scholarships, grants, fellowships or that doctoral program you have been wanting to get accepted into?

I have read several blog posts where the writers use profanity to make a point or just express their feelings. Although it may seem appropriate at the time, as writers, we need to think about how we will feel in a few years when we go back and reread our posts. Are there any other words we could use that will get that same point across as well?

As someone who has lived several decades, there have been plenty of times when I have said things I regret. I’m glad they weren’t written down for all the world to read. At this point in my life, I don’t want to be writing things that I cannot take back and that will remain forever on the internet. How about you?