Influenced and Influencing

I guess it never truly dawned on me how many people influence my life. In good and bad ways. The people that are in my life that are encouraging, help me spiritually, challenge me, lead me in the right ways. The people that are in my life that don't exactly do that. The ones I let influence me and the ones I choose to not let influence me. The ones that aren't bad influences but aren't the best influences. People that don't even know they influence me. The ones I don't think influence me. Everything that they do, some how has an effect on my life. Every person in my life makes a difference in my life. Good or bad. 

I never realized the kind of influence I am on people. Am I encouraging, uplifting, and challenging them spiritually? Am I leading them down the path of righteousness or bringing them down? Am I a good testimony? Am I really the best influence I can be? Everything I do, effects the people in my life. I make a difference in someone's life. 

God uses us in people's lives. I have been super challenged the past couple days. What kind of influence am I? Who am I letting influence me? Everything we do truly does effect someone. We have to be super careful how our actions, words, and lives are influencing people. We're human, we're not perfect but at the same time we should be striving to be more like Christ and striving to show Christ to others. 

I have recently made some resolutions that I hope to stick to not just for God or for my sake, but for the sake of other's that I influence. I need to better myself for God's glory, for my walk, and for my friends and coworkers. If I become a better person, other people can become better people in the process. You don't truly realize the impact you make until someone brings it to your attention. And I'm lucky enough to have friends that bring my actions to my attention, whether they are good or bad. I'm lucky to say I have some great influences in my life. And I want to be a great influence.