Influencers for Christ

In October 2024, I became a grandfather for the first time!

Earlier, on the day of her birth, I was speaking at a Sunday School class at Mission Hill Church in Tampa for their missions conference. Before I finished, the host asked me if I had any prayer requests? I knew my daughter was close to her due date so I said: “Please pray for my future granddaughter that she may find a personal relationship with Jesus.” In my heart, it was what I wanted most for my new granddaughter. 

From holding a newborn baby to attending funerals, life can bring experiences that remind us of the importance of knowing Christ. A co-worker, Seth Vanderdrift, recently spoke at his mom’s (Marlene) funeral and he was eloquent in sharing some funny memories and then picked up his mom’s Bible to read a verse she had highlighted: Ephesians 6:10-11, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” This Scripture speaks to me as a reminder of who is attempting to influence us. We are forever on a journey of guarding our hearts and minds while helping others seek the truth and peace in knowing Jesus. How can we influence them?

Do you know anyone who is an influencer? Do you follow an influencer? Many may say that they follow someone who has the power to change our choices and even our behavior based upon what they recommend. Maybe we do what they do because they are modeling for us a behavior. But wait...who is making the greatest influence in our lives for Christ’s sake?? The definition of an influencer is: a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the item on social media. The questions I am pondering are: Who are the influencers for Christ? Who influences me the most? 

Just over two years ago, I began meeting with a mentor who has become an influencer in my life. He has helped me reveal my blind spots in leadership and remain steadfast and focused on what matters most. Our conversations span from work related concerns to home and family life. Time with him has taught me that there is a great difference between being well known and known well. Jesus is well known but my personal challenge is to make sure He is known well in my life. What does it take to have influence? For you and me to have an influence it takes proximity and time spent with others. You don’t have to be famous to have influence. You have to be close to and invest time with the people you want to influence.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

My prayer is, “Dear Lord, may I not let self-doubt steal my strength for the purpose of being an influencer for You.” Today, may we ask the question, who are we influencing for Christ. ~Tim DeTellis