Who is Influencing Whom?

"This is how the LORD responds:

'If you return to me, I will restore you

so you can continue to serve me.

If you speak good words rather than worthless ones,

you will be my spokesman.

You must influence them;

do not let them influence you!'"

Jeremiah 15:19 NLT

Jeremiah stayed true to God, choosing the lonely existence over joining in with the crowd in betraying Him.  How was he rewarded?  With persecution, suffering and difficulty.  Sound unfair?  I guess it depends upon your perspective.  But there is something I can learn from God's response to Jeremiah's lament over his misery.

Second Chances.  The Creator of heaven and earth, the sovereign Lord over all creation, is a God of second chances.  His mercies are new every morning and He is always at work giving new life to what was messed up by sin (Lamentations 3:23,  Isaiah 43:18-19).  He doesn't look at His broken creation and cast it away like yesterday's garbage, but loves mankind enough to have given His own Son as an atoning sacrifice for all who would believe (Romans 5:8).  He could have sent His Son into the world to righteously judge His image bearers, and He would have had every right to do so, giving us all what our sins deserve.  But He didn't (Romans 6:23, Psalm 103:10).  This God of second chances sent Jesus down into the realm of men in order to save us (John 3:17).

If Jesus doesn't prove that God is a God of mercy, I don't know what will.  This means that no matter how many times I fall, I can confidently get back up again, knowing that I have an Advocate who is pleading my case with the Father in heaven (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 1 John 2:1).  Even though I'm not perfect, I can keep pressing forward with the assurance that I'm made right with God through Jesus (Philippians 3:14, Romans 3:22).  Therefore, I can be okay with not being okay.

The Lord my God, Maker of heaven and earth, is a God of second chances.

Mouth for God.  My mind often drifts toward thoughts that do not please God, nor do they honor Him.  I obsess over trivial details, worry about my needs, am consumed by meaningless pursuits, yet rarely think about Him.  Therefore, it is important that I get a grip on my thought life, directing my mind toward what is excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 10:5).  Yet it's not just my thoughts that are important.  It's also what comes out of my mouth that matters.

My words can give life or death (Proverbs 18:21).  I can encourage others or I can tear them down (Ephesians 4:29).  With a single breath I can start a dispute that could destroy families, demolish friendships, or bring down church congregations (James 3:6).  Therefore, since my mouth is such a powerful tool, it is important that I use my tongue to bring glory and honor to God.

When I give it completely to God, my mouth can be used as His instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:13).

Saltiness.  Those who have given their lives to Jesus, who submit to His lordship, are the aroma of Christ in a world that stinks of sin and brokenness (2 Corinthians 2:15).  Those who are lost turn their noses up in disgust, failing to detect the sweetness wafting straight from heaven.  To those who are being saved, however, it is an aroma like no other, giving life and hope (2 Corinthians 2:16, 1 Corinthians 1:18).  It's all a matter of perspective.

It's the same with my influence.  As a fragile jar of clay that holds a precious treasure, I have the unique opportunity to change the world for the better, influence it for Christ, make an impact that will last forever (2 Corinthians 4:7, Matthew 5:13).  Yet if I am the one being influenced by the world, adapting to the way the lost think, living as if I have no regard for the sacrifice Jesus made in order to save me, then I lose my ability to shine into the darkness, to improve the quality of its brokenness, to offer hope to those who desperately need it.  If I don't stay true to Christ, letting Him transform my thinking as I go through my days, how can I serve as His Ambassador to a world that is headed toward destruction (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:20)?  To retain my saltiness, I must make Jesus my greatest treasure, never forsaking Him as my First Love (John 15:5, Revelation 2:4).

Staying tight in my connection to Jesus by loving Him fully will give me a unique flavor that will influence the world for Him.

As I look around me, it's easy to see how the life of a follower of Christ is different than that of the world.  It can often be a lonely, difficult road on which to travel and I can become discouraged as Jeremiah did.  But God encourages me through the weeping prophet by reminding me that He is the God of second chances, that my mouth can be used to build His kingdom, and my saltiness to improve the world with His unique flavor.  In order for this to happen, though, I must stay true to Him and apart from the world, otherwise I'll wonder who is influencing whom.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to stick by Him, even when it makes me look peculiar to those around me.

When do I try to fit in, thus losing my saltiness?

How am I compromising my values?