A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of dropping a meal to a mum who had had her second baby. I got to talk to this mum about our past and while she may have been blessed with the meal and gifts (Oh and did I mention I got her darling baby to fall asleep in my arms?), I left feeling blessed from her wisdom and life experience.
All of us go through seasons where the devil likes to linger and he is persistent in turning lies into truth, and if we’re not careful, we can believe these lies. This then leads to actions that can destroy the things we love most in our lives.
In these moments of testing seasons, it’s good to talk to those who have ‘been there, done that’ and are able to give advice that will influence our decisions. And that’s what this new mum did for me on that day. It was much needed advice that I needed to hear and work on.
None of it was done in public. And I won’t be sharing the details of what was said, apart from what I’m writing here.
In such circumstances, not all of us reach out to a friend.
Many of us reach out online and look for our advice from influencers who are going through similar season to ourselves.
I read a lot of blogs and articles on the internet. Some I agree with and many that don’t sit right with me.
Guarding my heart and mind has been something I’ve had to put into practice because there are a lot of lies and opinions that get disguised as truth.
As an influencer myself, I’m happy to share my human brokenness and imperfections online, but I don’t want to glorify them. I know that God wants to see me live a life that is fruitful and not weighed down by temporary burdens.
It doesn’t mean my life is perfect and that I should only share the squeaky clean moments. But it does mean I need to be careful about how I share the moments that are so very human online.
The role of being an influencer as a blogger holds an immense responsibility. I believe it needs to be stewarded well. And if any of us are placed in a leadership or an influence type role, we have a responsibility to lead and react in a way that respects others – even those that disagre agree with us.
We all have a right to our opinion but we have to be guided on whether it’s an opinion that needs to be voiced.
If it is voiced, we choose how we react to that opinion. It speaks volumes how we react and how we tactically use our leadership to respond to criticism.
I think sometimes we look at blogs as a way to initiate change. To start a conversation. To make a difference.
They shouldn’t be used as a media form to publicly humiliate or attack someone.
Yet I see more and more blogs are turning into a media form that do just that. And while on one hand I love the power a blogger or influencer can have to initiate change, it can also be used as a vehicle to destroy.
On the weekend a blogger decided to go against the grain and write an opinion piece on a high profile blogger who has gained an incredible amount of popularity after sharing raw, human moments online. I watched on the sidelines as all hell broke loose on the weekend with the high profile blogger sharing the blog post on her Facebook page, which created an open invitation for her followers to hate on the blogger who offered a different opinion.
The problem was, what both bloggers were trying to achieve, pretty much ended in both them being hurt and creating an ‘us vs them’ mentality.
Never underestimate the power of words and influence.
The heart of an influencer should have his/her followers in mind and not put their readers in a position to judge or act atrociously online. If we want to see kindness on the internet, it has to start from the top and a good amount of wisdom needs to be used on what should and shouldn’t be shared for the greater good of everyone.
Supporting each other doesn’t mean we have to agree with each other, but our influence doesn’t give us the right to attack one another either.
Sometimes being rattled with a change in thought is a welcome relief.
Because all too often lies and opinion can get disguised as truth.
My hero is not a queen.
My hero is a King.
God ultimately is whom we should hero worship and whom we should be influenced most by in life. Jesus is the perfect example of God in human form, who showed the world how to accept and love all.
He’s always for us and wants to see each of us reach our potential. Jesus’ heart has always been to reach the lost and those that are isolated to bring them back into the fold.
The heart of an influencer should never be to build ones’ own castle, but to help build castles for all.
I see many bloggers want to reach those that are isolated. Those that feel lost in whatever season they’re in. How we go about reaching those people is ultimately up to us. If we don’t like how someone is creating an atmosphere of acceptance, we have to ask why it’s bothering us in the first place.
How do you guard your heart and mind with what you read on the internet? What or who influences you the most in life? What can you do this week to build someone up?
I’m linking up with Kylie Purtell for IBOT.
