Gospel Influence

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the fi eld which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden”?’” Genesis 3:1 (NKJV) Have you ever wondered how the world might be different today if Eve did not listen to the serpent in the garden? What if Eve had walked away, instead of conversing with him? Did Eve consider how eating the forbidden fruit could damage her marriage? What about her relationship with God? What about her future, and particularly how disobeying God would negatively impact her life? Fruit for thought (no pun intended)! Reading this account of Scripture, we see the power of influence. From the creation of mankind, man has had a choice — the choice to follow the Lord or the choice to forsake the Lord. Sadly, Eve and Adam allowed themselves to be influenced by the serpent, which has had disastrous results. In this same regard, we allow ourselves to be influenced with Godly influence — or worldly influence. Social media, music, TV, and friends are some of the many influences that bombard us each day. As followers of Christ, there are inescapable influences, for better or worse, that we all must learn to deal with. However, God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us in our pilgrimage. God desires that we would not let the influences of the world hinder us. God desires that we become “Gospel people” — people who prioritize spending time with God, communing and fellowshipping with Him. If we grow in this area, we will see a surge of spiritual growth and maturity. Worldly influences will lose their grip upon us as we experience freedom and victory in the Lord! Are you reading your Bible daily? Heavenly Father, please show me what influences I need to walk away from. Help me develop a daily devotional life and influence me by Your Spirit. — Steven Keesic   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org