December 18 -- "Our Influence on Others"

Today’s Reading: Psalm 69

"Our Influence on Others"

King David is going through a rough time politically. His “poll numbers are down.” His popularity has been declining because he has made some decisions that were not popular with all the people. In his heart, he feels that his decisions have been consistent with God’s will, but he acknowledges that he is not perfect and that he may not have done everything completely right. In Psalm 69, David is grappling with all of this. He is feeling abandoned by his friends and hated by large numbers of his citizens. He is feeling like the waters of opposition are swirling over his head and his feet are sinking in the deep sludge.

The life of a leader is not always a “bed of roses.” Especially so for one who seeks to honor the Lord and infuse godly principles into his/her decisions as a leader. At times, doing the right thing can seem very lonely. Family, friends, employees, church members, and even whole nations can be soured by a decision (or group of decisions) the leader has made. This was the case for David, and it certainly was the case for our Lord Jesus Christ, whose zeal for God caused Him to be reproached and hated by many. It will be so for any of us who are called to lead others in any capacity.

The key thought in Psalm 69 is David’s concern for the spiritual condition of others. His prayer in verse 6 is a heartfelt request that he not be the cause of others’ shame or dishonor. In the midst of his own struggles, David did not focus on himself, but on others. He did not want his decisions to be a stumbling block to anyone who hopes in God and seeks Him. His desire was that his decisions as a leader would facilitate and encourage worshippers to become closer to God, not further away. “Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,” he prays. And “let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me.” David’s deep prayer was that his actions, however unpopular, would not have a negative influence on anyone seeking the Lord.

This should be the heartfelt attitude of every follower of Christ. All of us are in positions of influence to some degree or another. It should be one of our primary concerns that what we say, or do, or the decisions we make, does not influence another person to stumble in their relationship with Jesus. The Apostle Paul mentions this in 1 Corinthians 8:13, “Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” Paul was writing specifically about eating meat that had been offered to idols, but you can substitute other actions in this verse and the principle remains the same: “Therefore, if [anything] makes my brother stumble, I will never [do that thing], lest I make my brother stumble.”

Others will not always agree with you one hundred percent of the time. But they should always find that you are being faithful to, and consistent with God’s will to the best of your ability. As expressed in the song by Steve Green, “O may all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way. May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe.”