What are you influenced by? Does the influence flow in or out of you?
We are potentially influenced by everything that we touch, see, hear, taste, and smell. So we need to be very careful of what we let into our lives.
The greatest things that influence us are our relationships, the tv shows and movies we watch, and the books we read.
1 Corinthians 15:33-34 New International Version (NIV)
33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.
Matthew 5:29-30 New International Version (NIV)
29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
We need to be weary of this and make sure that we are only influenced by the things that God finds acceptable. There are many things that Satan has in his arsenal to make it appear as though it came from God, but in the end it leads us down a path of sin.
Have you ever been to an action movie and then came out all hyped up ready to take on the world? That is being influenced by something from the outside.
I know I am influenced from time to time by the world that leads me down a path that is unacceptable to God. The only way to get back on the right path is to take this to God and ask Him for forgiveness and help to overcome those things that are influencing me.
The question is what will you do? I know what I plan on doing.