A L M A C I A S

HOW ARE WE INFLUENCING OTHERS?

The influence that we have on others is a very important matter. In the Old Testament, we find many examples of people who had a good influence on others, as well as some whose only influence was bad. One example of good influence is Noah and his family. From all that we read of them, Noah must have had a great influence on his loved ones for the good, seen in the fact that when the flood came, Noah and his family were saved. How did he manage to accomplish such a thing? I am sure there were many factors involved, but one thing must have been his good influence. Today we live in a world in which much of the influence is bad. Sometimes even those who call themselves "Christians," influence others only for that which is evil. We all must understand that as we journey through this life, there will always be some who will look to us as an example for them to follow. That being the case, we must all be very careful as to what kind of influence we are having on those about us. Let us go to the Scriptures and see what the Lord had to say regarding the kind of influence we have on others.

In Matthew 18:6-9, the Lord spoke about the seriousness of our influence on others. The Lord said, "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offences cometh!" The Lord wants us to realize that whether we know it or not, we could be causing others to stumble because of our conduct. There is only one thing worse than committing sin ourselves, and that is causing others to sin. To emphasize the seriousness of influencing another to sin, the Lord stated that it would be better for the guilty one to drown, one of the worst forms of dying known to the Jews.

By our words, we can influence many to do that which is good or that which is bad. We all have either been insulted or offended by what others have said to us, or we ourselves have insulted or offended others by what we said to them. He lives of many have been destroyed ­ not by what others did to them, but rather by what others said of them. The sins of gossip, rumors, and lies all involve words; and the Lord said, "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." (Matt. 12:36,37) Let none of us fail to enter heaven because our words influenced others to do that which was wrong.