Her Faith Inspires 002: You Don’t Need A Stage For This!
http://herfaithinspires.libsyn.com/her-faith-inspires-002-you-dont-need-a-stage-for-this
ShowNotes
Introduction:
We are bombarded by influencers and people who want to share their experience, knowledge and expertise. But do we really need to be identified by social media in order to be classified as an influencer? I hope not!
Influence is so much more than standing on a stage or speaking from a platform. Influence is how we live and treat others. Our lives are the stage. If you are looking to make an impact and change the world, start where you are.
There are many women in the bible who became influencers without a stage and without a social media account. They didn’t sign up to get noticed or be heard. God chose them. He changed their lives and He made them an influencer.
Are you looking for a stage to stand on? Or are you allowing your life to be the stage?
Summary:
Today, we’ll talk about:
*How to get recognized for your influence
*How to know if you are influencing others positively
*Why don’t I feel influential unless I have a platform?
*You already possess the tool that houses your greatest potential to influencer others.
Quotables:
“Your life is the only platform you need to influence the lives of others.”
Scriptures References:
Luke 16:10
Matthew 6:1
Mark 1:28
Mark 5:1-21
John 4
Ecclesiastes 7:1
Matthew 18:6
Recommended Resources:
Blog: Shandafulbright.com
Website: shandafulbright.com
Instagram and Facebook: @shandafulbright
Email: hello@shandafulbright.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Blog post: Life is a Stage
Feel free to email with questions or episode topics. If you recommend a topic for an episode and I use it, I will dedicate it to you.
Script:
Welcome back, my friends. You are listening to episode 2 of Her Faith Inspires, and today we’re going to talk about INFLUENCE.
I don’t know if you’ve seen the options on Instagram for setting up an account, but one of them is INFLUENCER. Whenever I see that description, I kind of chuckle.
Do we really need Instagram to tell us we’re an INFLUENCER?
In reality, we are all influencers. And if you look up the definition of the word, it says, “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.”
What does that definition reveal? A couple of things:
- Everyone is an influencer. You don’t need a title to validate it and you don’t need a stage to accomplish it.
2) Influence can be both positive and negative.
On today’s episode, we’re going to answer a couple of burning questions when it comes to influence:
- How do I get recognized for my influence?
- How do I know if I’m influencing others positively?
- Why do I feel I don’t have influence unless I’m standing on a stage?
My goal is that today, you will see influence from God’s perspective and when you walk away, you’ll be encouraged to use the stage your standing on. I’ll explain what I mean by that a little later.
Let’s get to the first question: How do I get recognized for my influence?
I understand the question, but it’s asking the wrong question. This question reveals your motives. You are not being genuine in your influence when you ask it.
What do I mean by that? It means you are only doing what you do to be seen, not out of a heart of concern for others.
Jesus warned others in Matthew 6:1, “Make certain you do not perform your religious duties in public to be seen by men. If you do, that is your reward.”
If our goal is only to be recognized for what we do, our influence will only go so far. How far? The physical sight of others. It won’t be for an eternal purpose.
I don’t know about you, but I want my influence to have an eternal purpose. Not momentarily impress someone with no lasting impact on their character.
We must also remember that influence is not made in grand gestures. The people who have thousands of followers and have no time to respond to others only influence from a distance.
Real influence isn’t because of a social media post. Real influence is done in real life. With real conversations in front of real people.
Remember that.
Those who are closest to you and know you best should be your first priority in your quest to become an “influencer”.
If we can’t influence those in our lives first, we’re not fit to influence those beyond us.
Luke 16:10 says, “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”
So again, if we don’t desire to influence in small ways out of a heart of love for those around us, how can we influence in what we call big ways? And by that I mean being recognized by the general population as an influencer.
That brings me to question #2, How do I know I’m influencing others positively?
I love this question. Why? Because there is always proof in the pudding because there will be evidence of your influence.
First, people will naturally follow you. There are many, many verses in the Bible that talk about the crowds that followed Jesus. They heard His words and they witnessed His miracles. The more He did, the more He influenced and the more people began to spread His fame throughout the land.
Mark 1:28 says “And the news about Jesus spread quickly.”
What am I saying? Don’t try so hard. Just be you and in the meantime, you will influence others out of a genuine heart that follows after God.
Second, some will dislike you. This is a tough one because I don’t want people to dislike me, but it happens. When your influence draws a definitive line in the sand and you don’t compromise or waiver on your beliefs, you, my friend, have influence. AND .. some people will not like it.
But that’s OK. You have to come to terms with it and stick to what God wants you to do.
And this brings me to the last question: Why do I feel like I don’t have influence unless I’m standing on a stage?
Who told you you’re not standing on a stage? Your life is a stage, my friend.
We buy into this lie that we must be a big named influencer in order to make a difference and that kind of believing will cripple you. It will keep you from doing what you’re supposed to do if you think that’s what you need in order to do it.
I’m just going to stop here really quickly and say, if you haven’t listened to episode 1 about finding your purpose in finding your why, go back and listen to it. It will really help you.
I’ve seen people who think they need a stage or a LIVE video on social media, or a Facebook group and those things flop. They fail because that person is doing it wrong.
Our lives and the way we live them in the everyday, average, ordinary is the most influential and impactful thing we will ever do. It’s not in the grand.
Just think about this: Remember the demon possessed man in Mark 5:1-21? Jesus radically saved him and transformed his life. He wanted to go with Jesus and follow Him. But Jesus said something to him that made him an influencer.
He said, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.”
He didn’t say go login to a social media account and select influencer as your description and then try and get a thousand followers. What did He say? Go home. To your friends.
That was his “stage”. His changed life pointed to the life changer.
I have one more example for you about our platform or stages, using Samaritan woman in John 4.
She was a woman who avoided her towns people because of her lifestyle, and she was living with a man and had previously been married 5 times.
She definitely wasn’t a candidate for positive influence.
But Jesus came and changed all of that. And when He revealed Himself to her, she went back into the town and faced the people she tried to avoid and she told them about Jesus.
So what am I saying? I’m saying our platform, our stage, our influence is the life we live in Christ. It is not a place we stand or a description we choose on social media.
If you wrestle with this, I advise you to go to the Lord and tell Him your struggle. But it true influence must begin with a genuine desire to follow God. Not because we want a platform.
And here are my three takeaways about influence that I hope you’ll remember …
1) The greatest thing you have is your name … your reputation. That is what validates your influence.
Ecclesiastes 7:1 says, “A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.”
So, if you truly desire to influence others, guard your name, your reputation. What others say about you and the way you live your life will follow you.
And if what people say about you isn’t true, don’t worry. Their words will fall to the ground.
2) God is going to hold us accountable for the kind of influence we are. Jesus said in Matthew 18:6 that it would be better if a millstone were hung around someone’s neck and they were thrown into the sea than to cause someone else to sin.
That means we better be careful what we say and what we do because someone is always watching.
3) Influence starts in the heart. Our lives are the testimony. In Revelation it says we overcome by the good of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
So, relax. Don’t go looking for a stage. Stand on the platform of your life and live boldly for the One who saved your soul.
So to recap todays episode on influence:
- Don’t try so hard. What I mean by that is be genuine and influence others out of a heart of love for God and people. Anything else is false motives.
2) Real influence has evidence. People will follow you if you are true to your cause.
3) Your life is your platform. Live a life in front of those around you. If you can’t do that, you don’t deserve any other stage.
Just keepin’ it real here, my friends.
And finally, your reputation and your name is the most important part of your influence. Guard it. Make sure you live up to who you say you are.
If you do these things, there is no doubt you will go far, and you will be a positive influence in the lives of those around you.
That’s it for this episode. If you have any questions, please send me and email at hello@shandafulbright.com. I’ll answer back and maybe even put them on the show.
I’ll see you next week with a brand new episode.
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