The Signs of the Times
October 21, 1903
The Power of Influence
Gather up my influence, and bury it with me,” a man upon his death-bed exclaimed. But could this be done?—No, no! Like the thistle seed carried by the wind, his influence had been borne everywhere, never to be recalled. ST October 21, 1903, par. 1
Throw a pebble into a lake, and a wave is formed, and another; and as they increase the circle widens, until it reaches the very shore. So with our influence. Beyond our knowledge or control it tells upon others in blessing or in cursing. ST October 21, 1903, par. 2
No one can live to himself in this world, even if he would. Each one forms a part of the great web of humanity. No man can be independent of his fellow-men; for the well-being of each affects others. ST October 21, 1903, par. 3
Each soul is surrounded by an atmosphere of its own, an atmosphere, it may be, charged with the life-giving power of faith and hope and courage, and sweet with the fragrance of love, or it may be heavy and chill with the gloom of discontent and selfishness, or poisonous with the deadly taint of cherished sin. By the atmosphere surrounding us, every one with whom we come in contact is consciously or unconsciously affected. ST October 21, 1903, par. 4
This is a responsibility from which we can not free ourselves. Our words, our acts, our deportment, even the expression of the countenance, has an influence. Upon the impression thus made there hang results for good or for evil which no man can measure. Every impulse thus imparted is a seed sown which will produce its harvest. It is a link in the long chain of human events extending we know not whither. If, by our example, we aid others in the development of good principles, we give them power to do good. In their turn they exert the same influence upon others, and they upon still others. Thus by our unconscious influence many may be blessed. On the other hand, one rash act, one thoughtless word, may prove the ruin of some soul. One blemish on the character may turn many away from Christ. ST October 21, 1903, par. 5
As the seed sown produces a harvest, and this in turn is sown, the harvest is multiplied. In our relation to others this holds true. Every act, every word, is a seed that will bear fruit. Every deed of thoughtful kindness, of obedience, or of self-denial, will reproduce itself in others, and through them in still others. So every act of envy, malice, or dissension, is a seed that will spring up as a “root of bitterness,” whereby many shall be defiled. And how much larger number will the “many” poison! Thus the sowing of good and evil goes on for time and for eternity. ST October 21, 1903, par. 6
No man will perish alone in his iniquity. However contracted may be one's sphere, he exerts an influence for good or for ill. That our influence should be a savor of death unto death is a fearful thought, yet this is possible. Many who profess Christ are scattering from Him. Frivolity, selfish indulgence, and careless indifference on the part of professed Christians, are turning many souls from the path of life. Many there are who will fear to meet at the bar of God the results of their influence. ST October 21, 1903, par. 7
The strongest bulwark of vice in our world is not the iniquitous life of the abandoned sinner or the degraded outcast; it is that life which otherwise appears virtuous, honorable, noble, but in which one sin is fostered, one vice indulged. To the soul that is struggling against temptation, trembling on the very verge of yielding to evil, such a life is one of the most powerful enticements to sin. ST October 21, 1903, par. 8
God calls for strong, brave Christians, whose influence is always exerted for the right. His cause needs men and women whose every word and act draws those around them to Christ, binding them to Him by the persuasive force of loving service. Men and women who commune with God, who, because they co-operate with the heavenly angels, are surrounded by a holy influence, are needed at this time. ST October 21, 1903, par. 9
It is only through the grace of God that we can make a right use of our influence. There is nothing in us of ourselves by which we can influence others for good. If we realize our helplessness, and our need of divine power, we shall not trust to ourselves. We know not what results a day, an hour, or a moment may determine, and never should we begin the day without committing our ways to our heavenly Father. His angels are appointed to watch over us, and if we put ourselves under their guardianship, then in every time of danger they will be at our right hand. When unconsciously we are in danger of exerting a wrong influence, the angels will be by our side, prompting us to a better course, choosing words for us, and influencing our actions. Thus our influence may be a silent, unconscious, but mighty power in drawing others to Christ and the heavenly world. ST October 21, 1903, par. 10