You Are Who You Meet

As I approach my 40th birthday this year (ugh), I am “trying” to be more health conscious. You know . . . the whole diet and exercise nonsense. I find myself checking calorie counts on foods and convincing myself the taste isn’t worth the waist.

Of course, all this brings to mind the old saying, “You are what you eat.”

You have heard that saying before, right? You eat unhealthy food, you become unhealthy. You eat healthy food, you become healthy. Makes sense.

However, there are other factors in life that are even more important for our spiritual, mental, emotional, and even physical health. Yes, you are what you eat, but even more importantly, you are who you meet.

Whether intentionally or not, we tend to take on the characteristics of those we are most often around. These individuals or groups have an influence on us almost like gravity. The longer we are in another person’s orbit, the more their gravity affects us.

This is why Christian community is so important. The Enemy (all the forces opposed to the will of God) is constantly trying to pull us away from our commitment and allegiance to King Jesus. Alone, we are more susceptible to all of the Enemy’s influence. However, together, we can exert a balancing influence towards King Jesus and away from the Enemy.

So who influences you? Your family, for better or worse, is a major influence. Your friends, those you communicate with and spend time around regularly, also exert major influence.

Keep in mind that there are some voices that influence us over a distance. Thanks to technology and mass media, I can type some thoughts on a blog and exert a mild amount of influence on total strangers miles away.

What voices are you listening to on a regular basis? Who are you reading? What are you watching? All of these will shape and form you either towards Jesus or away from Him. So find people who will influence you towards King Jesus, and live so that you can be an influence to others.

Who are the top five influencers in your life? How do they influence you?

Who are you most likely to influence? What kind of influencer are you?