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The Struggle to be Relevant
Julia Bettencourt
August 15, 2019
Are you under the influence?
Have you ever noticed the need to be relevant in today’s world? It used to be that only businesses or companies selling products strived to be relevant. History has proven how much a business needs to stay current. A business needs to stay up with the times. It needs to offer significant products. It needs to be connected with today’s society. Products are always evolving. Everything always needs to be newer, stronger, faster. Technology has to be taken as far as it can go for the time.
People are striving to be relevant
What I’ve noticed is that in the last few years, this trend to be relevant has moved on to people now. In today’s world people are attempting and striving so hard to be socially relevant. It’s not just people in business either, or celebrities craving attention for their careers—but just ordinary people are striving relentlessly to be relevant too. It seems everyone wants to brand themselves. It doesn’t matter if they sell a product or anything like that. We have people endeavoring and struggling each and every day to be relevant. They want to be influencers.
What is crazy is that we all can be swept up into it. We let people influence us in what products to buy for our home. We let people influence us in what type of meals to prepare. We let people influence us in what brand and type of clothes to wear. We let people influence us in what restaurants we choose. We let people influence us in what books to read. We let people influence us in what movies to watch. We let people influence us in how we should raise our children. We let people influence us in what stores we go to and shop. We even let people influence us in how to order our coffee.
It melts my mind when people put the word influencer by their name on their social media profile or blog. I realize that now it is considered an occupation and people do it to make money and make a living. I understand all that, but I still feel that if you are an influencer, you don’t have to tell anyone.
To me it’s kind of like telling someone you are humble. Isn’t it? If you are an influencer, you surely don’t need to broadcast it. I will know if I see you trying to influence someone to purchase something or use a particular brand or if I am drawn into it myself. But really. You don’t have to tell me you are an influencer. If you are good at being one, then I will automatically know it.
Jesus is relevant
Anyway, back to that word, “relevant”. Dropping a name today! I have to tell you that I am privileged to know the most relevant person ever! You guessed it. Jesus. What He had to say and how Jesus lived His life transcends time. And talk about a wonderful group of followers!
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)
And what’s more is that God’s Word is relevant as well. It can really have an impact on us and affect our lives. God’s Word can still bring hope. It can still bring joy. It still holds the way of Salvation. And praise the Lord—God’s Word is still the influencer of men and women! God’s Word has the power to change people today just like it did in the beginning.
The world needs a Godly infulence
I think we should strive to be an influencer, but in the right way. We don’t have to worry about being the kind of influencer the world seems to put on a pedestal. That’s temporary. That’s fleeting. As Christians, we just need to focus on being a godly influence. Showing the love of Christ is how we are going to make a difference in people’s lives. It’s how we stay relevant now, but also how we reach to the future and find eternal rewards.
I think it’s time as Christians that we worry less about what products we are influencing people to buy, what projects or activities to try, and what trends we encourage people to follow. Let’s influence people to turn to Jesus! There is so much in the Bible about showing the love of Christ. (John 13:35) and being that salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).
I hope I can worry less about being up to date and that struggle to be relevant in the way that the world counts it important, but I hope I can be that godly influence that the world so sorely needs. In order to do that though, I have to be more influenced by Jesus. I have to love Him more. I have to talk to Him more. I have to read His Word more. I have to fall under His influence and follow His leading.
We have a wonderful opportunity to influence the world. One person can have such an influence and such an impact. Remember how the disciples turned the world upside down in Acts 17:6.
We have to remember that it isn’t all about winning friends and influencing people, but about winning souls and influencing people to turn to Jesus.
Copyright ©2019 Julia Bettencourt.
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