You Are Always Being Influenced

Anyone who comes to Harvest USA for help with sexual sin learns very quickly that their behavior is not the root problem. Their behavior is symptomatic of deeper sins that show the state of their hearts. God doesn’t want us to simply cut off bad fruit in our lives. He wants us to address the root desires and beliefs that produce that fruit. But it’s also not enough to simply think about our desires and beliefs in a vacuum.

Our context and our circumstances strongly shape what our hearts believe and desire. This obviously applies to childhood experiences. Anyone who has raised children knows how incredibly moldable they are. Like sponges, they watch and absorb so much of what happens around them. This is why counseling can be so vital as people grow into adulthood, especially for those who experienced trauma as a child.

As we age, a hardening process happens, and our desires and beliefs become more settled. But we are still being shaped in small ways every day. I spent five years in South Korea as an adult, and I came back to the States a very different person.

But you don’t have to go halfway around the world to experience strong shaping influences in your life. What you watch on TV shapes you. Who you follow on Instagram shapes you. Who you listen to on the radio shapes you. Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be misled: bad company corrupts good character.”

The same goes for powerful experiences in any season of life. Someone in their 60s can experience a traumatic event that permanently changes everything about their life. No doubt all of us have been changed on some level by the coronavirus.

So what does all of this mean? What should we do in response to the reality that we are still being influenced by our circumstances?

Well, first, we need to pray. Paul knew that shifting circumstances make it harder to follow Christ. But he also knew the secret of being content and glorifying God in any circumstance, which only comes through abiding in Christ. The fact that we are constantly being influenced by so many ungodly forces should make us that much quicker to get on our knees.

Second, we need to be proactive. There are many negative shaping influences that we just can’t avoid. That’s life in a fallen world. But we also have countless opportunities to choose what we let influence us. This means we need to be discerning about the company we keep, the influencers we follow on social media, and the hundreds of other voices we listen to on a daily basis.

On the positive side, we need to be shaped by God’s word, especially as it is preached on Sunday mornings and talked about in discipleship relationships or small groups. God has ordained that your local church be the context for your growth in Christ. Christian growth outside of the good soil of a local church is akin to a seed’s growth after being thrown on pavement. It just can’t happen. God designed you to be shaped in the context of his covenant community. The good soil of a healthy church yields understanding of God’s word, helps you bear good fruit, and produces discernment about the influences that shape your heart.

I hope these two ideas will guide you towards holiness as you consider what most influences your own heart.