People!

You are an influencer! Oh, the world may not follow your fashion sense or tweet your quotes – but in the circle of people you touch, you are an influencer.

In your home, at work, as you go about your business, even on the phone, you have opportunities to make a difference, to influence.

Our words, our tones, our attitudes impact how each encounter plays out through the entire week.

Kindness and courtesy are often overlooked in our busy interactions. Words can push down rather than pull upward even with those close to us.  As we hurry to meet deadlines we forget that God actually warns us that in the hustle and bustle of the day our hearts can begin to get hard.
That’s why He tells us to encourage one another daily. It’s not merely a nice suggestion. The God of the Universe, who created us, knows we need each other more than we think. We all need the listening ear that shows care. We all need encouragement. And we need it to keep our hearts from becoming hard in this world of self -focus and “me first”.

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3: 12 & 13

“O Lord… I don’t particularly look forward to some of the interactions in my week. Please help me to be willing to offer bits of encouragement as I go through my day. Help me hear beyond the words and listen to the hearts, even in the busy passing of information. And Lord, help me to see the encouragement You send my way too. Don’t let me overlook it or minimize it, but capture it and thank You for it. Use it to change my perspective this week as I choose to be an influencer for good. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Action: Today put a higher value on encouragement. Take note of the words and the people who give you a push to something higher. Thank God for that spark of encouragement.
Then be intentional about offering encouragement too. Small acts of kindness can reap big results. You may not always know if you have helped to keep a heart from becoming hardened but the act of encouraging will also guard your own.


By Gail Rodgers