Being An Influencer : Purpose and Power

UV 3688/10000 Being An Influencer : Purpose and Power You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste (purpose), how can it be made salty? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and walked on by people ( when the walkways are wet and slippery) Matthew 5 v 13 It is our purpose that determines whether we are tasty to God and man. The purpose declared by the angels to the shepherds at the dawn of the first Christmas is , “ Glory to God and peace and goodwill among mankind.” In whatever we aspire, attempt, achieve, if our purpose is to glorify God, then our lives will not be lived out in vain like the salt that is sprinkled on snow and sleet on roads in winter to keep it from slipping. Though salt has that purpose or benefit, too, that is only a secondary purpose. We may be fulfilling or working towards our own personal goals but these are secondary to the primary purpose of bringing glory or satisfaction to our Creator , Redeemer, Sustainer. When we fulfill our primary purpose, we will also obtain the power or grace to fulfill it in our time. We are to be fed, led and lit by the Spirit of God. The Spirit feeds, lead and lights us by means of the Word. Then, the second metaphor that Jesus used to describe His followers- light will become real in our lives. We will reflect the light of the Lord in the world in a variety of ways even as light consists of seven colours. Salt, we become when our influence in this world spread and penetrates through everything that we do, speak and think. As followers of Jesus, we are influenced, as leaders or fishers of men, we become influencers for the glory of God. We are to exercise both the penetrative, invisible influence of salt as well as the pervasive, comprehensive influence of light. We cannot exert this penetrative influence and pervasive influence without being led and influenced by the greatest Influencer, Jesus. He influences us with His presence, His word, the Holy Spirit whom He left for us to rely on, be led and fed by Him. We are both vessels and vehicles of the glory of God. Like the glory of God rested on the ark of the Covenant in the old testament times, the glory of God now rests in us, on us and with us. Whatever we think, feel, speak and do should abound to the glory of God. There are no exemptions, no exceptions.