Influence

"Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray" (Proverbs 10:17).

Proverbs mentions "life" quite a bit. It seems the Lord is very interested in us experiencing life to fullest extent possible. Jesus told us that is why He came to earth. He came to give us life to the full (see John 10:10). Heeding instruction puts us on the path to a full life.

One of the things we learn from today's passage is that no one is an island unto himself. We all have influence. We all have impact. The question is whether or not our influence and impact are positive or negative when it comes to others experiencing life to the full.

The person who listens to the instruction given them, regarding life, will find that they are on the path to life. They will, in turn, lead others toward that path. In doing so, there is great reward and satisfaction. The person who rejects reproof will find that they are going astray. It is tragic that they will lead other astray as well.

It does not matter who we are; we all have influence. We need to realize that we will impact people with our lives. Our lives are like a drop of water that causes rippling circles in a glass of water. If we are wise, we will respond well to both instruction and reproof. In doing so, the ripples we make will have a positive influence on others. If not, our ripples will influence others in a negative way.

Knowing you have influence, what kind of influence do you choose to have; positive or negative?