The young man had preached his heart out.  He was barely 23 years old and this was his first gospel meeting.  How his heart did beat when the received the invitation to come and preach for the small group of brethren!  Visions of huge crowds and dozens of responses to the gospel filled his head as he contemplated the coming event.  He was almost out of breath just thinking about it.  

 

The time came.  The crowds were only fair and there was seemingly only a moderate amount of excitement during the meeting.  Brethren listened attentively, but their reaction seemed more to be one of quiet politeness, than excitement.  But he preached his heart out–night after night, he preached his heart out.  For two weeks, he preached his heart out.  

 

When the meeting was ended only one person had responded–a little twelve year old girl came and obeyed the gospel, was baptized into Christ.  

 

He was disappointed, dejected, discouraged.

 

Before returning home, he called the Elders of the little church aside and apologized to them.  “I guess I’m not as far along as I thought I was,” he said, “I’m sorry for the fact that only one person responded to the invitation.”  “Don’t give up on me,” he said, “I’m trying.”  The Elders tried to console him, but his discouragement was apparently not about to go away.

 

Years past. The little girl grew up.  When she was grown, she married a fine Christian man.  To this union was born five sons.  All five of the sons became gospel preachers.  Through their efforts literally hundreds of people obeyed the gospel.  

 

All of this came out of the effort of a young, inexperienced gospel preacher who was convinced of how little he had contributed.

 

A young girl handed me a note the last night of the meeting.  It said, “I know it’s got to come from me, and I have to change for myself.  I’ve done many things I now regret, but Tuesday night after the sermon I went home and poured out my heart to God. Please keep me in your prayers, even after you leave.  You are such an encouragement and inspiration to me.  (Enclosed was a $10 bill) I know it’s not much, but maybe it’ll help some.  I love you.  Jeannie.”

 

  It brought a tear to my eye when I read it. 

 

I’ve read that little note to hundreds of people in gospel meetings.  Jeannie has no idea what an influence she has had–just with a little note.  And I don’t even know her last name.  I wish I did.  I’d like to tell Jeannie what a good influence she has had on hundreds of people.

 

Influence is interesting.  You never really know how much of it you have.  Even people who think they have none sometimes may have profound effects on the lives of others.  And influence is seldom a big thing.  In fact, many times it is the small, seemingly insignificant things that impress us.  Furthermore, we often influence others when we don’t even realize it’s happening.  Just like Jeannie, or that young preacher.

 

We need to remember that there’s power in influence–power for good or power for evil.  You have such power.  So do I.  If you’re an older person, chances are some younger people are watching you carefully, and some of them are being impressed by your demeanor.  If you’re a younger person, chances are you’re leaving a pattern for those even younger than yourself; so it’s important which way you’re going, what you’re saying–even what you’re wearing.  How sad it would be to lead some person in the wrong way, to be responsible for some bad choice someone made. How wonderful to lead someone in the right way.

 

And you don’t have to be a gospel preacher to preach the gospel. “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). They weren’t all preachers, but they all preached. Some of the best gospel preaching ever done is not done from the pulpit, but from the pew.“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1).  You don’t have to be a preacher to follow Christ. You just line up, and follow.  And when you do, somebody sees you.  

 

The gospel message is the seed mentioned in Luke 8, but the seed doesn’t do any good until it’s spread about.  We need to get the seed out of the barn, folks!  “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (I Timothy 4:12). “Let your light so shine before men that others, seeing your good works, will glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).   

 

Everybody has influence.  How’re you using yours?