Being An Influencer

Being an influencer is a goal for a lot of people these days, especially on social media. A lot of people find their worth in “likes” and “followers”. Some people even make a living with it! What kind of influencer are you? Who is influencing you these days? Even if you are not active on social media, you still have an important sphere of influence in your friends, co-workers, teammates, neighbors and your family.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus actually taught about how to be an influencer, specifically, what kind of influence He wanted His followers to have in this world. In the sermon, Jesus was crystal clear about what He wanted us to be and what He wanted us to do. This text captures the essence of our counter-cultural calling as Christ-followers.

The driving theme of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount may be this passage: “… 8 Do not be like them,” Matthew 6:8a. Jesus’ admonition echoes the words of the Lord to the Israelites through Moses found in Leviticus 18:3-4. As His followers, we take our cue from Christ, not culture.

Jesus calls us, as His followers, to be distinguished from the world by being both salt and light.

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

These salt and light metaphors illustrate our influence for good in this world. They give us clarity for how we can “make an impression and leave a mark for Jesus Christ!” When we are salt and light, we are influencers for goodness’ (Christ’s) sake in this world. And, in case you haven’t noticed, this world could use some good these days!

Jesus used these two metaphors to clearly define the way we are to influence others. So what does it mean to be salt and light? To learn far more about how to be salt and light, to be the influencer Christ calls you to be, click here to listen to: Sermon on the Mount - Part 1 - Being an Influencer.