One conversation I regularly have with my daughters is, “Who are your friends now?” When I visit their school, I intentionally sit with their friends and chat. I am not just being friendly. I want to see who is shaping their thinking. I want to know who their unseen leader is.
Friend, who is your leader? Anyone who influences you the most is your leader (Romans 12:2). Many of us are being led without our consent. We give attention to voices, people, and content that have nothing to do with our future. If you fail to manage your influences, you will arrive at a destination you never planned for (1 Kings 12:1-16).
You do not really choose your destination in life; you choose your devotion, and your devotion chooses your destination (1 Timothy 4:15). Your determination cannot save you if you board the wrong vehicle. You will still end up in the wrong place (Luke 15:15). That is why environment is often stronger than intention.
The right resolve in the wrong environment will still produce the wrong result (1 Corinthians 15:33). For some people, just changing their circle and their influences will change their life with less struggle. That is why God is intentional about where He places us per time. We must be intentional, too (Psalm 1:1-3).
The voices you hear consistently will configure your mind and shape how you see life (1 Samuel 3:1-11). Maturity is learning to choose your influences on purpose because if you don’t, influences will choose you. That is how a person can attend church but still be led by the world, not by its truth and atmosphere (James 4:4).
So let me ask you like I ask my daughters: Who is your leader? Who are you sounding like lately without realizing it (Hosea 7:8-9)? What music, what pages, what content are you now drawn to, even when it clashes with your values? The proof is simple. Just look at your lifestyle and your results (Hebrews 13:17).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria