Who we admire and why we admire them is an important consideration these days. The internet is flooded with self-made celebrities and with just a little click, we invite them into our lives. 

Though we may never meet them, we “follow” them. Though we have no idea of who they truly are, we “like” them. Though they are complete strangers, we trust them and allow them to influence our lives.

Qualities       

We’ve been created to connect and “connecting” with others can now be accomplished screen to screen instead of face to face. But, just like the books we read, the music we listen to or the movies we watch, who we “like” and “follow” deserves serious consideration. 

 Since people shape our lives, before allowing an influencer into our living rooms, our lives and our heads, taking stock in our own values, standards and beliefs is needful. If we do not know what we believe and why we believe it, we’ll get carried away by the innumerable philosophies that are now available to us. 

I remember friends from high school and how my mother despised them. She warned me against spending time with them, but of course, I did not listen to her. Instead I had to learn from the school of hard knocks and natural consequences. My “friends” did not reflect the values that were instilled in me by the adults in my life; honesty, hard work and clean living. Consequently, my “friends” wanted nothing to do with me when I wanted to pursue a straighter way for my life. 

After marriage, it was natural for my husband and I to spend time with other married couples. We gravitated toward those who were most like us, but at the same time, a little older and a little wiser. Because we’d established a trust factor in our relationships with these other couples, they were there to support and encourage our faith when we grieved the death of one of our children.  

Finally, there are my own girlfriends. Most of these women have known me for quite some time and have supported me through the various seasons of my life. They are steady reminders of steadfastness, fortitude and tenaciousness. These women keep me on track when at times, I start to veer off course.

Why bother considering our influencers? When we “follow” or “like” someone we are giving them the power and the privilege of influencing our lives for the better or the worse. Who we give the power to is up to us.