Elect Lady's Corner

In a world driven by visibility, voice, and viral moments, influence is no longer reserved for celebrities or leaders, but it belongs to everyone. Whether you realize it or not, someone is watching your life. Someone is learning from your choices. Someone is being shaped by your words, your silence, your standards, and your responses. The question is not if you are an influencer, but the real question is: What are you influencing others to become? So, we may ask what is an influencer? An influencer is any person whose thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, or lifestyle has the power to shape or affect others. 

It’s not about followers, it’s about impact. It’s not about platforms; it’s about patterns people pick up from your life. Parents influence children; friends influence friends, leaders influence communities, but Believers influence the world. Influence is the silent sermon your life preaches daily. Romans 1:18, 32 reveals something very sobering and that is, the weight of influence. It says: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness… who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” 

This means God not only responds to wrongdoing but more so to those who encourage it. So, influence is not neutral. You can be held accountable not just for what you do, but for what you promote, tolerate, or celebrate. In today’s culture, wrong is often celebrated as freedom; compromise is called authenticity; and silence is considered neutral. But Scripture reminds us: God sees the influencer behind the action. Proverbs 11:30 said: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that winneth souls is wise.” 

So, a productive influencer does more than just speak; they produce life. The benefits of Productive Influencers are: 1) You Become a Source of Life. Your words heal. Your presence uplifts. Your actions inspire growth. 2) You Draw People Toward God. A righteous life becomes a testimony that points others to truth, hope, and transformation. 3) You Build Legacy, Not Just Moments. Your influence outlives you. Seeds you plant today will grow in someone else tomorrow.

4) You Strengthen Communities. Integrity, love, and wisdom don’t just bless individuals, they shape families, churches, and societies. 5) You Receive Divine Reward Proverbs 11:31 makes it clear that there is a reward for righteousness. It says: “Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: Much more the wicked and the sinner.” This means God honors those who lead others toward life. But there is also danger in negative influence. Negative influence can be subtle. It doesn’t always look evil, and it often looks acceptable, popular, or even harmless.

But yet there is harm in negative influence. Here are a few reasons. a) It Normalizes Sin. When wrong is consistently seen, it becomes easier to accept and repeat. b) It Misleads the Vulnerable. People who are searching, hurting, or growing can be pulled in the wrong direction. c) It Corrupts Character Over Time. Influence is like a drip; it’s slow, consistent, but powerful; and over time, it reshapes one’s identity. d) It Spreads Beyond You. What you influence in one person can multiply into many. One compromised life can affect generations.

Examples in the Bible of positive and negative influencers can be contrasted with Joseph and Jeroboam. Joseph influenced others positively in 4 areas: 1) He maintained integrity privately and publicly. Even when tempted to sin with Potiphar’s wife, his choice not to sin showed others holiness matters. 2) He brought God into every environment. Whether in prison or the palace, Joseph acknowledged God. His influence pointed people upward and not to himself. 3) He used his position to save lives. As a leader in Egypt, he helped preserve nations during a famine.

4) He chose forgiveness over revenge. Instead of destroying his brothers, he restored them. His influence healed a broken family. Joseph proves you can go through pain without passing on pain. But, when we look at Jeroboam as an example of a negative influencer, we find these results: 1) He led people into idolatry. He set up golden calves and told the people: “These are your gods.” 2) He replaced truth with convenience. Instead of leading people the way God instructed them, he chose to make the rules easier and more appealing. 

3) He influenced a nation to sin. His decision did not only affect him, but he led an entire nation away from God. 4) He modeled disobedience as acceptance. What leadership tolerates, people practice. Also, the End Result of Negative Jeroboam proves one compromised leader can mislead multitudes. Influence is found in Rom chapter one. It paints a clear picture of what happens when people persist in influencing and promoting unrighteousness. God eventually gives them over to their own choices. 

This includes: reprobate mind; distorted thinking; separation from truth. But the scariest part is there is no immediate judgment, but you are left to live without correction. Negative influence doesn’t just harm others, it ultimately destroys the influencer as well. So, we have to be mindful of the times we’re living in where social media amplifies voices instantly. Culture rewards visibility over responsibility and truth is often blurred by opinion. Your post, your reaction, your lifestyle; it all speaks.

Although you may never stand behind a pulpit, your life is still preaching whether in your home, on your job, in your community or online. Someone is becoming what you are modeling. So, you should ask yourself 3 questions: 1) What do people learn about God by watching me? 2) Do my words build or break others? 3) Do I make righteousness attractive or optional? Being an influencer is not about perfection, but it’s about direction.

So, with that thought in mind you should choose rather to speak life, live truth, model integrity, and most of all reflect Christ. Always remember, your influence is a seed and with every word, every action, and every choice you are planting something in someone, whether family, peers, church, on the job, neighbors, social media, or getting a haircut, etc. Again, you must ask yourself is what I’m doing producing life or leading people astray? Because in the end, influence is not measured by how many people follow you, but by how many people are better because they met you.