God has always had one mission: For the unclean, the unholy, the broken, the unworthy, He sent Jesus to save us and then used ordinary people to share the Gospel to reach the ends of the earth. I’m amazed at how He fulfills this mission and who He uses to do it. The woman at the well, the disciples, and Paul…the man who literally murdered Christians, yeah, that Paul all had an encounter with Jesus and their lives changed and aligned with God’s will.
I always had a hard time finding someone in the Bible I could relate to. From Esther, who was the definition of goals, to Mary, who birthed Jesus, I remember flipping the pages of the Bible looking for someone with the same hidden sins and struggles I faced. I was elated when I found the story of the woman at the well. This woman who knew Jesus but also knew brokenness because of sin, gave me hope. I found hope in the way Jesus spoke the truth in love to open her eyes and then used her to share
the Gospel. It was in the mess of her life that I found a message for my own. Seeing her life changed from the way she had been living helped me to see that my life could change, and I decided to follow Jesus.
Today, a revival has started that has left the walls of the church, leaped off the pages of scripture, and found its way into social media and popular culture by way of influence of unschooled, ordinary men and women. On social media, you have people like me and you, and in popular culture celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Kanye West are using their platforms to share their faith. It makes us lift our hands yet tilt our heads at the same time. Who qualified any of us to share the Gospel?
The truth is the people in the Bible weren’t any more
qualified than we are to call ourselves Influencers. God’s mission to reach the ends of the earth will be fulfilled by those who choose to be obedient and say yes. And even when we stray, the road of the prodigal always leads home. And when we get in position, it’s sharing our story that will
reach the ones who need to hear it.
God can use anyone. A woman at a well or a donkey is what He chose in the Bible. And He is not limited to people. He used a burning bush, so who are we to say He can’t use social media or a secular music concert to reach those where they least expect it? Sure, it all goes against church
culture, and that’s the part that makes so many people uncomfortable.
But Jesus didn’t die for church culture. One thing I do know is the same Jesus, Kanye West is proclaiming is the only way, and the same Jesus Justin Bieber is proclaiming has set him free from bondage and shame, is the same Jesus that died for the broken world that God loves. We all have
the same goal: to know Jesus and make Him known.
These celebrities have influence over an audience that the most famous preachers, pastors, and teachers will never be able to reach just like you’ve been assigned a circle of influence that no one else can enter but you. If we all know that the church is not a building but it’s the people that make up the church and the body of Christ, perhaps their message is the hand opening the door for some that might never otherwise know that they too can find their way back to Jesus while your message is the feet that will walk people into further Truth. Maybe they are called to
reach those who would never step foot in a church until they could know God loves someone like them too. So, I ask, are we so distracted by the method that we are neglecting to share the Message?
Jesus isn’t a spectator in the crowd of a Kanye Sunday Service, watching our YouTube channels, or following us on social media. Jesus is at the finish line with an expectation that we all run our race well laying aside the distractions and divisions and become radically obedient to what
we’ve been called to do. Who are we to say that anyone’s heart transformation isn’t pure because it can’t be monitored by behavior modification? So long as the Gospel is being preached, who are we to question who God uses to fulfill His will? The lost are being reached.
We as Christian influencers need to take responsibility for what God has asked us to carry, do our creative best, and make the best use of the time and gifts we’ve been given. To carry it well, we must continue to walk in the Spirit and not get discouraged by what we see. Instead, can we let
what we see set a fire for us to become radically obedient in our influence and do our part to carry out the mission of making Jesus known to a broken and dying world? Let’s pray for our brothers and sisters knowing that they are just as much a part of the body as you and I. Be encouraged, Influencer. God is using you too.
Name: Terasha Burrell, Writer at "Made Beautiful"
Contact info: IG and FB are under @Terashaburrell
Website:
( .co not .com)