“There are many who can bear adversity, but if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power.” Robert Ingersol
In today’s culture, influence is measured by the size of a platform. There is a great push and desire to be an influencer, to have the most followers, and to have the loudest voice. The more likes you get, the greater your influence. In God’s kingdom, influence is gained much differently. It begins with obedience and Integrity.
When we first met Gideon, he wasn’t standing in front of a crowd, leading an army, or speaking to a nation. He was hiding in a winepress, trying to preserve his harvest (Judges 6:11). Gideon had a destiny but had no influence.
Yet, God saw something no one else did.
The Lord called him a “mighty man of valor”, not because of what Gideon wanted to accomplish or had accomplished. He hadn’t declared himself a deliverer or a hero; he was hiding. He was a man of valor and influence because God had declared him to be. Before God increased Gideon’s influence, he made sure he was equipped to deal properly with the pressure and temptations that would accompany it. Gideon had to tear down the idols of his father before he could tear down Midian’s stronghold.
The order is significant.
God’s focus is more on preparing the person than he is promoting him. Our culture today doesn’t want to operate that way. It implies that you seek influence regardless of how you get it and then use it to your advantage. We seek influence not for the good of others but to enhance our own value and status. Influence without character is dangerous, but influence built on character can change the course of a nation.
Notice how Gideon’s influence grew. It didn’t happen overnight; it was a process. First, he obeyed God in private; from there, his actions drew his friends and family’s attention. Some men noticed his leadership qualities, and eventually his influence had grown enough to gather a thirty-two-thousand-man army. His influence wasn’t manufactured; it was earned through constant obedience to Christ.
Real influence isn’t something we do ourselves or demand of others; it’s something God entrusts to faithful people.
Jesus taught this principle very directly: “He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.” (Luke 16:10) Faithfulness in smaller assignments prepares us for greater responsibility. It’s amazing how someone who just got born again feels they need to preach. That’s fine; you can preach to your family, neighbors, co-workers, and others, but ministering to the people of God requires preparation. If Paul knew it was necessary to spend 3 years in Arabia being taught by God, I doubt that God will turn us loose until we are prepared. Many people want a larger audience, but god’s looking for deeper obedience. We often ask God to increase our influence, while he asks us to increase our faithfulness. The greatest influencers in Scripture were not those who sought recognition; they pursued and obeyed God. When God can trust your heart, he will determine your reach.
Gideon’s life reminds us that lasting influence is never based on charisma, talent, or popularity. It’s built on a life surrendered to God. The influencers that change the world always begin with a life, one person willing to say “yes, Lord”
The question is not “How many people can I influence?” Am I faithfully following the one who is leading me?
The best influence you can ever have will flow from a life dedicated to being completely faithful to God—one who says yes before they ever hear the question.
