27 million. That’s how many Americans are influencers—paid online content creators. Of these, roughly 12 million are full-time. Nobody knows the precise number, of course, but surveys suggest 14% of 16-54-year-olds are influencers, and for 44% of those, it’s a full-time gig. SOURCE: https://www.complex.com/life/a/tracewilliamcowen/12-million-influencers-us
If you know anything about marketing in today’s digital spaces, you know it’s all about platform size, subscribers, followers and likes. Which spawned a global symphony of self-trumpeters, each seeking to out-blast his neighbor.
Self-First, Self-Focused
Giacomo Leopardi quipped, “It seems rare in our age to find a widely praised person whose own mouth is not the source of that praise.” In truth, we’ve become a nation of self-first, self-focused, self-indulgent marketers, screaming to influence others for our own benefit.
But this is not the Jesus way. Not even close. In fact, He once said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). Charles Spurgeon put it this way: “You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glorying in yourself.”
Imaging Jesus
Bottom line: we need to love Jesus more than we love likes. Because whether you realize it or not, the moment you call yourself a Christian, you become an influencer, imaging Jesus to the world around you. And that’s why we must resign from the self-centered symphony.
I’ll never forget Wendell Loveless’ comment, “There’s only one man in the universe God the Father is determined to glorify—and that’s the Man, Jesus Christ.”
I dare you to say out loud, “I am a full-time influencer for the Lord Jesus Christ. When people see me, they are seeing my version of the Christ I claim to love.” Note: Your version of Jesus is the only Jesus they will ever encounter. So, how much of the real Jesus are they seeing?
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors”—influencers—“as though God were making His appeal through us.” 2 Cor. 5:20
