Who or what is your greatest influence? You have lived many years on earth and either consciously or otherwise you have lived those years through a lens. Even everything that has happened to you has been interpreted by you through that lens. That lens stems from who or what influences you. It could be a person, an experience or a principle. But I implore you as fellow children of God, that no one should have so much influence on you as Christ Himself. Let this be your declaration – “I know who I want it to be but I think He has allowed for other men to have some effect on me, on all of us.  I want it to be Jesus and it is not cliche, son of a carpenter who walked the earth with humility and pride, clarity and all prophesy fulfilled.”  Do you know how the artist, content creator or any other popular person you spend much screen time on affects your current lingo and as far as what you do? And how this change when you discover a new artist? There is a lesson there. Nothing grows without care; change does not happen without beholding Him daily through His word and prayer (II Cor. 3:18).  The trick, better put, the way has never changed. The Apostles knew other good and virtuous things could derail them, so they appointed deacons for it. The Bible in Acts 6:1-7 showed how they ranked God’s word and prayer supreme. These Apostles were there through all of Jesus’ ministry which we know is not all recorded in the Gospels, yet they did not rest on those three-odd years of daily fellowship with our Saviour but continued fervently afterwards.  How much more us? Handed the word of truth with the Comforter, let us hold fast.  Like Paul, all things are lawful but not all are expedient (I Cor. 6:12; 10:23). You have many things, albeit not ungodly, that you can focus on. But do your best to ensure that your priority is to follow Jesus and learn of Him through His word and prayer. By so doing, it becomes easier, unforced, to be influenced by Jesus in your day-to-day life. I pray that He who is able to keep you from falling will guard your hearts and minds. Amen.  PS: Listen to this song: “Kill What’s Left of Me” by Theophilus Sunday.  

DR BANKOLE IYANU