Influences
(11 minute read; 2014 words)
Influence is the power used by others to affect how you think and act.
Your attitudes, both good and bad, have been influenced by a variety of sources over time; influences and influencers influencing you and everybody else. You must know who and what is influencing you and whether those influences are good or bad or whatever represents good and bad; positive or negative, right or wrong, moral or immoral, appropriate or inappropriate, something you should do or shouldn’t do, Christ-like or not, pleasing to God and bringing Him glory or not, etc.
Also be careful how you use your influence to influence others.
You were born with a clean slate. You knew nothing and had no attitudes whatever, until the doctor or nurse popped you on your rear end and inflicted cause and effect… that “pop,” intended only to make you take a breath on your own, was misinterpreted as threatening and you for the first time, but not the last, over-reacted and screamed and cried.
Everything which is not influenced by DNA and the autonomic functions of the body has come from many sources and were learned by you, either consciously or subconsciously. For example, you learned to speak the English language, for example, from the influence of the English speaking people all around you. Even that slow southern drawl you might have was influenced by someone with a slow southern drawl; “ya’ll, ain’t, howdy, I recon.” Your “culture,” the actions and reactions of those all around you, influences the way you talk and act and ironically, how you end up influencing others.
But, let’s say for example, if you were born in one “culture,” but raised in another one, the latter influences your attitudes and character more than the former. For example, I learned to be funny and to use some occasional inappropriate language, mostly in an attempt to be funny, by listening to a comedian named Richard Pryor on a 33 1/3 LP (an old timey record album played on a phonograph; circa mid-20th century). I learned not to drink alcohol simply by watching my dad drink alcohol. That didn’t work out very well for him even though that wasn’t his intention, and I believe it would not have worked out well for me either. I got an early introduction to Christianity from my parents and the local United Methodist Church. Thank you Lord Jesus. I missed out on a lot of the questionable things that teenagers do by staying at home and playing the Strat-o-Matic Baseball board game for hours on end. It was video game addiction before there was video or video games, but it kept me out of all kinds of trouble that the typical teenager might experience.
The examples of influences are endless…
The influences in 21st century America and other parts of the world, as well, are non-stop and coming from every direction at lightning speed. And just like thoughts, attitudes and actions, these influences are either good or bad, but can’t be both at the same time and can’t be anything else other than good and bad. That’s how you should evaluate them… appropriate or inappropriate, in my best interests or not, morally right or wrong, Christlike or not, pleasing to God or not, etc.
And all these influencers want just one thing… your mind.
The biggest influences, especially in your early years, were from your parents, siblings and peers. That’s still true. Research shows that the first eight years of a child’s life shape who they will be a person. With the proper role models like a great mother and father who teach the core values, kids develop attitudes which shape and define the content of their character… such as, discipline, manners, the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, self-respect, which breeds respect for others and vice-versa, personal responsibility, how to think for themselves and how to make good decisions and wise choices about how they act and react in all situations and circumstances.
If you are wondering what happens when the kids don’t have proper role models, especially in their early years… just look around. The breakdown in the family unit, especially with the absence of the fathers in the home, are causing immeasurable damages in families and society at large.
But there are plenty of other influences, too. There is an ongoing, ever evolving media influx, each vying for your mind, your time and your money.
The list in not all-inclusive, but you’ll get the idea:
Print media: Newspapers, magazines and books of all kinds and all influences; declining because so many people either can’t read or don’t want to.
Broadcast media: Television and radio, 24 hour talking heads giving you their opinions (not necessarily what is right and moral, but just “their” opinions), a lot of fake news and non-stop advertisers trying to sell you anything and everything. The want your mind, too… and ad dollar$.
Film media: Movies at the theater, on TV and the internet are rated anywhere from G to XXX and documentaries, some which are good and some hard core propaganda. What you hear and see in movies has drastically changed over the years since Rhett Butler told Scarlett O’Hara that “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a “damn” in 1939. There’s absolutely nothing you can’t hear or see on some screen somewhere and a lot of things that you will never be able to un-see or un-hear. PS- And things you don’t need to hear or see, by the way.
New Media: The internet, search engines, streaming TV, social media, mobile apps. Google is an unrivaled titan and sadly, the most powerful company in the world putting a wealth of “knowledge” (both good and bad) at your finger tips. Everybody says “Google it.” Be careful what you Google and also be careful with the newer AI stuff, as well.
Social media: This is the influencer that been around for a while and taking over minds all over the world. Facebook (Meta) (3.1 billion “active monthly users”), Instagram (also Meta), YouTube (Google), WhatsApp, TikTok, X, formerly Twitter (a cesspool by the way), LinkedIn, Snapchat and many, many, too many more. It’s addictive and in many cases dangerous, with some stalking and bullying and things like that. Limit your time on these things. Pick your “poison,” because in most cases they all are.
Game media: Video gaming, interactive entertainment, virtual reality (Meta, again), sports gambling. Gambling your money away is probably not going to work out well; they call it “gaming,” but it’s a gamble.
Music media: Streaming services, podcasts, live music, music libraries of millions of songs. Rap and hip hop music has a beat that charges up the emotions, but the lyrics are more times than not, both offensive and divisive, but it has influenced millions upon millions of every race, creed, color, national origin and sexual orientation. And country music about “getting drunk” and cheating may be fun to some, but it’s not funny. Songs about “being in love” evolved into “making love” (mostly outside of marriage, I suppose) in the 60s. Instrumentals might be the way to go. Music, not necessarily lyrics, stirs the soul.
It can be said that the invention of the internet and mobile devices has literally changed the world and how we spend our time and money. Apple with their phones and devices was valued at over 3 trillion dollars in 2023. Just about every person in the world has a mobile phone in the palm of their hand and an internet-connected device, including their phone, at their fingertips and a James Bond-like watch on their wrist. There is a lot of knowledge and information on the “net,” certainly a lot of good stuff, but it also has a very, very ugly “dark” side, on-demand. Warning: DO NOT ENTER! But millions and maybe billions around the world do, every day. Pornography is rampant with over 40 million daily users in the great United States of America alone. Studies even show that porn is quite common even in so called “Christian” homes. Porn use is addictive, where one time is too much and 1000 times is not enough. Just say no while you still can. Addiction is….. addictive and life shattering.
Influence. Influencers. There are benefits and consequences for most of these things. Be careful. Limit the time spent on all “devices” and eliminate and block the negative influences. “Garbage in. Garbage out.” When we are connected to the devices, we are generally disconnected from real people, real conversations and real relationships. I suggest you put a timer on any devices the kids use and limit their screen time. Do not use these things as unpaid “baby sitters.” There is a price to pay for that. Even the inventors of these dangerous and addictive “technologies” won’t even let their own children use them. There’s a very strong message there.
Added to all of that is the mass of confusion and deception in politics, religion, wokeness, race issues, indoctrination in public and private school systems, especially the universities, where the lefty loons now teach their students “what to think” instead of “how to think,” the sexual orientation confusion of the LGBTQ-ers trying to win you over to their fantasy and sinful lifestyle choices using guilt and shame with pleas for tolerance and “love.” Everybody wants to get in your head and win your approval, even your so-called “friends.” Your presence and participation in their bad stuff validates their foolishness, their insecurities, their… dare I say it again… sins. And then there are the out-of-touch Hollywood trash manufacturers, DEI mandates, the climate change hoax… oh, by the way, man cannot destroy what God has created. He can (and will), but you can’t. FYI: the universe will be destroyed one day, by the Creator Himself, and it will be by “real global warming,” fire, and not by CO2 emissions. Toss in inflation, crooked politicians, Godless people everywhere, the new world order, endless wars, the threat of nuclear annihilation… and the list goes on and on and this is just today!
But behind it all is Satan, aka, the devil… the Adversary, the prince of the power of the air, the god of this world, the enemy of God and his fallen angels now called demons, in an ongoing cosmic war between Go(o)d and evil (bad). Good and bad again, still the only two “choices.” If you read the book of Revelation, you will see that God wins and all those who reject Jesus lose, for eternity!
Satan’s goal is to destroy man or make man destroy himself and wind up in a conscious, fiery torment which never ceases in the lake of fire. He has influence over every living human, but he can’t “make” you do anything. He can only lie, deceive and confuse in order to tempt you to make the wrong choices and turn away from God. But he does not make the choices for you. Only you can do that.
All of the above distractions and more are to keep your mind on anything other than God. Too many have been hoodwinked, bamboozled, lied to, run amok and flat out deceived by the devil. That is a perfect description for what the prince of darkness is trying to do to us all.
Above all, be careful who and what influences you and how you influence others.
Remember, in the end, no matter who or what influences you, you are completely responsible for how you choose to think, act and react and for the consequences they cause in your life. Seek good influences. Make good choices and wise decisions… always.
Notable Thoughts About Influences
If you’re not saved, time is of the essence. You are not guaranteed another day of life, not another breath, not one more heartbeat and you don’t know the day and time when Christ will return and you are without excuse and eternity is a long, long time to be wrong.
“Do not be ashamed of the gospel, (or be influenced by non-believers and false gospels) for it is the power of God for salvation from His wrath and rightful judgment to everyone who believes, by God’s grace, through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.“ (adapted from Romans 1:16; emphasis added)
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