Influencers

I’ve never heard a faith story without a relational component.

Deep and Wide, Andy Stanley

There’s a crazy thing happening with social media. It’s been going on for quite some time, the last several years for sure. Social media (Instagram, Tik Tok, to a lesser degree Twitter, Facebook, and whatever else is out there that I’m not aware of) is becoming a place of marketing.

To some degree, it always has been. People talking about their platforms and making a name for themselves through their use of social media is not new. However, brands have started to see the marketing potential as well.

People with massive followings are getting endorsement deals. An actual goal that some people have is to become a “social media influencer”. This is a way that people can make money; sometimes, it’s serious money – like “I just bought my first house” kind of money.

I guess it’s not really all that shocking. Marketing always finds a way to extend its reach, and when there’s money involved, there will always be those who are willing to do what they can to get a piece of the pie. But, do you know why it’s so effective?

Because people who are really good at social media know how to create relationships on their platforms – at least, as deep as one can get in such mediums. At times, genuine friendships can blossom. People can actually get to know one another; though, it can be a risky endeavor. After all, people are following the image that the influencer puts forth. We want to believe that it’s authentic, but some people are just really good at faking it.

What this shows us, however, is the importance of relationships in our world today.

We all have some kind of relationship in our lives. Family, friends, co-workers, peers, colleagues. Nobody lives their life entirely in a vacuum. (I mean, as far as we know. If somebody is doing it and we know about it, then they aren’t very good at it.) This is most evident when we hear about people’s stories of faith.

Somewhere along the line, somebody invited us to explore our faith in a deeper, more meaningful way. Whether it was by inviting us to church in the first place, or walking alongside us at an important time in our lives, there is typically somebody that we can point to and say, “It’s because of this person that I am where I am in my faith today.”

Often, it’s the unsung heroes in our lives. The senior adult with a heart to connect with teens. The elementary Sunday school teacher that just showed up and loved on a regular basis. As a pastor, I’d like to say that it was a specific pastor, but the fact of the matter is, more often than not, it’s going to be a lay person who is just being faithful to God’s call in their life.

As I reflect on those who have helped to shape me in my life of faith, I’m challenged to do my best to do the same in the lives of others. It doesn’t have to be big or dramatic. It’s the daily stuff that really makes the largest impact.

So, what about you? How can you continue to make an impact in the faith of others?