Is this something that has only happened to me or that just happens in smaller towns rather than in larger cities? Have you ever thought, “I’ll just sneak into the store and grab that one item that I need quickly, and no one will ever notice,” only to be seen by two or three people who know you. Now you are caught feeling like you must justify why you are in your pajamas, gym clothes, yard work outfit with stains or holes in it, have no makeup on or having an extremely bad hair day. I am sure this has happened to all of us on occasion. It is mortifying; however, we must remember that if it happened to us, it probably has happened to the one who saw us as well. Also keep in mind, this was the decision you made, knowing it could possibly go badly. You gambled and lost, and though you want to crawl into a hole at that moment, you will live to see them another day when you are fully dressed to the nines and can save your shattered reputation. And alas, keep in mind, these only represented a couple of people and a some extremely bad timing.
With that in mind, I do live in a relatively small town, and my theory and this myth of, “I know just about everyone in town, or they know me” was obliterated a couple of weeks ago when I stopped in to our local Post Office to mail a package. It was exceptionally busy that day, and I realized as I made my transaction, that not only did I not run into anyone I knew, but the attendants were all new as well. I did not know a soul. This thought stuck with me and about a week later I gave myself a test. We went to Tractor Supply, our puppy dog’s favorite place, and I waited in the truck this time while my husband ran in quickly. As I sat there, many cars drove by in the parking lot, some parked and went into the store, while others drove on, however, I had never seen any of those faces before. After dwelling on this and pondering these things, I have felt rebuked in my spirit, because for a while now, I have held to the thought, though subconsciously, that we know everyone in the town and have been involved in all their lives in some shape or form of ministry. Therefore, the question in my mind has been, what possible difference could we continue to make here with no one else left to influence? Since those few rude awakening moments, I have begun to think on this and study it a little more closely. If you have also fallen into this trap of complacency, let us look at a few things together.
With the advent of internet, social media, and the rapid advancement of technology our sphere of influence has grown vastly over the last 25 years. A circle of influence is said to be things that concern us that we do have control over aka, things that we can do something about. Our sphere of influence in the past might have extended to family, some friends, and some neighbors, the few people you knew or who knew about you, however it would not have gone much further than that because those are all the people you would have had contact with. Without transportation, telephones, or the ability to have constant communication with others stifled much of what one person could do. In the 21st century the possibilities for influencing are endless. Now that we can have contact with more people of diverse cultures, ethnic backgrounds, religions, educational levels, economic and social status, our circles are expanding. We now not only have the technology to meet with others virtually in various settings, but we have transportation to go to various locations in person as well. We can now have a voice when it comes to politics, religion, media, fashion, government, along with our family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, local professionals, teachers, church family and social media friends and followers. Now you can not only just make a living, but you can gain both wealth and fame by being an ‘Influencer.’ There are now jobs as Behavioral Influencers, Brand Influencers, Marketing Influencers and Social Media Influencers, and many more. Therefore, if we give our self a pass and say we did know everyone in our town, we still do not have an excuse in the 21st century to stop trying to influence others for the good and towards the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let us look at this from a different angle. I will throw out a few numbers from my community, and you will need to plug in the statistics that are unique to your situation. From the most recent demographic study showing on the internet, the town I live in, has seven thousand and forty three souls in it, with a density of one thousand and sixty souls per square mile. The town is 5.7 miles of land mass, which could be walked within an hour or two depending on your fitness level and the speed with which you attack the walk. Extending this to the county, there are twenty six thousand, eight hundred and ninety two souls with forty six and a half persons every square mile. It is five hundred and seventy seven square miles of land mass. Though this would take a lot longer to walk, and would not be very practical, however, most families have a vehicle or can request a ride from someone within their sphere of influence. Eighty two percent of the households in the county now have access to internet. This is my small town, what are your numbers looking like?
With these numbers in mind, I sat down for a few moments and started thinking about all the people I know and who know me or of me in this small town and the surrounding areas. There are about a dozen towns in the immediate area of which some are in our county, and some are not. So, the numbers given could even be explored and extended even further. However, for the sake of this small illustration, let stick with the seven and the twenty six thousand. After wracking my brain, I produced a liberal, possible, five hundred persons that I might be connected to in some way shape or form over the last thirteen years we have lived here. Of course, this is an estimation and could be more or less, however, from that number, you can see that I only know .7 percent of the people in my direct town and only .01 percent in my county. So, we could accurately say, that no, I do not know everyone, nor does everyone know me, and most have never even heard of me. Am I saying this is a bad thing? Absolutely not, on the contrary! This just means that there are still many places to go, people to see, meet and influence right here on my own back door step, as the old timers say, without even including those that I could influence by phone, travel or online. This also means that the likelihood of me going somewhere, even to church or a place that I frequent daily, the chances of me knowing everyone there will be slim to none.
Now let us look at these numbers in reference to the gospel, remember, you must put the statistics in from your own life, into the equation, to make this applicable to you. A familiar passage, John 3:16-17 tells us,” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” For this discussion, the operative words in these two scriptures are whosoever and all. It is not the will of God that anyone perish. Therefore, it is God’s will in the county that I live in, that twenty six thousand, eight hundred and ninety two souls hear the gospel, which is the ‘good news’ about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and how they can apply it to their lives for salvation and that they respond to it. Not just the same five hundred people that I met and knew thirteen years ago and may barely have contact with now. This would mean that mine and your work is far from over in our respective places of influence. Jesus said to his disciples in Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” They did just that in their world, with the available transportation and means that they had, and we must now do the same.
We often think that because we have given in the missions offering on Sunday, and that the funds will be going to reach those in Africa or South America in some small remote village that has never had the gospel preached to them before, that it lets us off the hook and that all our obligations to the ‘Great Commission’ of Jesus have been met. This is not the case. Our calling is to ‘whosoever’ and to ‘all’ who are in our world. This means more specifically, to the people we rub shoulders with in the supermarket or our co-workers that we engage with daily or our fellow classmates. You have heard it said, “You are the only bible that some people will ever read.” Our lives must always convey the truth of God’s word and His love. We are in the spotlight. No, much to our chagrin, we cannot just sneak in quickly to the store and grab that one item without being noticed, but we may not be seen by anyone we know yet, but it may be someone who God has put into our pathway that day to be a witness to of His love.
The one way we can be an influencer for the gospel is to guard our reputation. I saw a plaque once that said, “Live your life in such a way, that if someone tells a lie about you, no one will believe them.” The wise man said in Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” By having a good reputation, you can build trust and influence others not only by your one on one interaction with them, but by the word of mouth of others. These days, they call it networking, we used to call it being friendly. Whatever your name for it is, make sure you are genuine in your dealings with others. Hypocrites and fakes are extremely easy to spot. To earn respect, which is essential for building your circle of influence you must be polite, loving, and sincere no matter the circumstance or situation with which you are dealing. You will never be able to lead until you show support for others. You do not have to self-promote if you get to know others and lift them up. Your integrity shows when you always do the right thing, whether in private or in public.
There are many ideas and ways to meet new people to grow your circle in your world. Volunteer your time in the community and at charitable events. Go and introduce yourself to proprietors of the new businesses that come into your town. Do not always frequent the same establishments, such as restaurants and grocery stores. Diversify your efforts and activities. Join a club or take a class at a community center or college. Keep in mind that not everyone you meet will want your product even though, for the sake of this discussion, it is the gospel, however, our commission is, to go. We cannot do the saving or the heart changing. God will take care of those areas. Isaiah 55:11 states, “So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Everyone you meet, testify to or are friendly with not only represents themselves, but an entire circle of influence as well. God is a great mathematician. He does not only work with addition, but with multiplication.
Even though we know that it is God’s will, in this county, that all twenty six thousand, eight hundred and ninety two souls be saved, thinking of that number in those proportions, we can feel overwhelmed. The short story by Loren Eiseley that has been retold repeatedly, still hits home and helps us put things into perspective. It goes like this.
“One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up, and the tide is going out. If I do not throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You cannot make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…” I made a difference for that one.””
This helps us to see that it is not about numbers on a roster, but it is about making a difference in someone’s life. After all, there are those who may live in a city of a million or more souls with many more than that in their county and surrounding areas. They will never reach them all by themselves even if they tried a lifetime, but they can make a difference one soul at a time. This is where being led by the Spirit and being sensitive to the needs of others comes into play. God will lead us to those who are seeking after Him, who are hurting and in need.
Pastors and leaders often have a goal in mind of how many members they want to have within a certain timeframe, which is a noble and lofty aspiration, but this is often outside of their sphere of influence aka, they cannot control the hearts or responses of people. This is in God’s hands. At a quick glance at the yellow pages, I see that there are about sixty two churches of varying denominations, in my small town. Each church would have to run one hundred and thirteen consistently to say that everyone in the town was reached. However, we have encountered so many church hoppers, you never know how many ‘brand new’ visitors are being counted versus those who were counted at another congregation last Sunday. Therefore, ministers should not put stock in the roster, but in the lives that are genuinely being changed and influenced by the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. There are so many folks in our world who are lost, hurting, sick and disillusioned and desperately in need of the Lord.
In Luke 15:1-10 Jesus says it this way, “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, this man receives sinners, and eats with them. And he spoke this parable unto them, saying, what man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he finds it? And when he hath found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she loses one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she finds it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents.” Jesus is concerned for all of us, but he knows us by name and calls us one by one. We are on his radar; we are in His circle of influence.
In wrapping this thought up, I would just like to throw out a quick cautionary note to those who are ‘church hoppers,’ ‘want to be’ influencers, or ‘roster watchers.’ We must not think that by being a ‘name dropper,’ our own ‘horn tooter,’ or a ‘coat tail rider’ that this makes us a wonderful, dynamic influencer. Even Jesus, who was God robed in flesh, always deferred the credit back to the Spirit, aka God, so as not to give his flesh glory. Acts 19:11-17 gives us an account that did not go too well for those who were not sincere or genuine, “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, we adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.” Yes, their story was heard, and yes, they did get a reputation, but it was not in their favor. You can only influence for the good, inasmuch as you are vested and involved in doing good yourself. This goes for the gospel as well as any other endeavor in life. ‘Do what I say, and not what I do,’ is not a well-received message in any circles.
Look around you next time you are out. Do you know everyone? Do they all know you? What is the percentage of those you know versus the ones you do not? Ask yourself sincerely, “Am I done with the Great Commission that God has given me?” If the answer is no, which is most probable given the amount of people in the world today, start today to become the best influencer to others of the gospel that you can be. Improve your skills: 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Branch out into different areas, diversify your activities. If you only meet with, eat with, and rub shoulders with, those who you know and are already saved, how can you let your light shine to those who are still searching? We are then just patting ourselves on the back without forward momentum or any accomplishment. They did not sit around and pat each other on the back for inventing the lightbulb but continued to press on and extend the use of electricity to all facets of our lives, for which I for one am grateful. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Go forth and let your light shine. There are still plenty of people to influence right where you are planted. Be the best you that you can be. You are an influencer.