Whether you like it or not, you are an influence to someone. There's always that cute little girl who wants to be just like you when they grow up, and always wants to give you a hug (which is just adorable). And then there are those other people who watch you too (especially if you're the preacher's kid). You need to show these people who you are, and who you represent. How are we supposed to let our light shine if we don't show others that you belong to God? I mean, no one is perfect, but we at least have to show others who we belong to in our daily lives.
I love little kids. I mean, they're all so cute! Especially the ones I'm teaching in Bible class! And once, one of my students wanted to sit by me in church. And really, how could I say no to him? I mean, this little guy is quite adorable. So, as we're sitting there, my teacher instincts turned on, and I realized that I had to be a good influence on him, because I knew he looked up to me. And you know what, as soon as I pulled out my Bible, he started using his, and I started teaching him how to look up scriptures, and he was paying attention. But suppose that I didn't look up the scriptures in front of him (I usually do anyway, but sometimes I prefer to just listen, or take notes) and I started goofing around with my friend sitting on the other side of me? Do you think that he'd start paying attention to sermons and Bible class after that? Probably not. We need to let our light shine, and not just to little kids either. We also need to be influences to our friends. I have some very close friends, and I've noticed that, me being around them has influenced them, especially considering I'm older than most of them. And I have to be very careful around them, because it's so easy to forget, and become a bad influence.
We can also apply this to how we dress. I have a friend who didn't have a very conservative dress code when I met her. Then one year, she went to Bible camp with me, and had to follow the dress code there. And now, she only ever follows that, because she saw that we should dress modestly. We need to have a good influence on others, even though it's hard, because whether we like it or not, we're still influencing them.
Thank you for reading. :)
