I just wanted to talk about this for a moment, I know that very few of you out there will probably read everything I write, but I do ask that you at least skim over it.
We have to remember this, there are things in our day to day lives that influence us without our knowledge. Television shows, commercials, friends, family, musical lyrics, etc. There are various ways that these things influence us.
For example, a television show may appear funny and "clean" but if you really evaluate it, yet again you'll see it demonstrates worldly values and principles. No, i'm not telling you that TV is the devil and therefore should be banned, all I'm saying is, watch your back. What goes in your mind never leaves, it pops up when you're lower than low and refuses to go away. Pictures, words, statements, etc. All of these will show up when you least expect them, and when you aren't prepared to defend yourself from them. That's called the devil.
Commercials influence us, how many times have you seen a commercial, and wanted whatever it was advertising? For most of us, commercials are unavoidable, but don't catch yourself falling victim to the materialistic side of life. Don't fall into that trap where you add value to yourself by trying to purchase more and more things that eventually will fade.
Friends can be some of the worst influencers in our lives. They add more peer pressure than just the normal crowd. Friends are people you never want to dissappoint, and it's okay to do something with your friends, isn't it? Sure is, as long as it doesn't diminish your faith! Don't go to the dark places if you're light isn't going to shine bright enough. Sometimes with friends, the best way is to just say no. NOW, you're closest circle of friends should ALWAYS be christians, after all, how much can you have in common with a nonbeliever? You need a tight circle of friends who will stand around you, build you up, and keep you going. If I didn't have friends like that, I wouldn't be where I am today.
Family are also key influencers in our lives, mostly because you can pick your friends, but family you're stuck with. What if your family is full of pagans? What if your family isn't? Either way, your family is unavoidable. Number one with family is HONOR THEM. Trust me, God specifically says for us to "honor our fathers and our mothers". That means following directions given by them, whether they are Christ-followers or not. God didn't say "Follow your christian parents". He said "honor your father and your mother." So do it. It's hard at times, doing everything your parents say when they say it, but imagine it this way. God is our authority, right? We try to follow him, right? Well, God's placed our parents as a direct authority over us during our life here on earth, shouldn't we at least give them respect?
Finally, I'd just like to say this. Watch your back, brothers. There are influences you aren't even aware of that are lurking about. Satan will use them to break you down when you're at your weakest. Words will slip out, tempers will flare, respect will diminish, and we cannot let it happen! We must support each other now and keep Satan behind us.
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