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Influence the World for Christ
The Rise of Social Media Influencers
The popularity of social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube has caused our world to be obsessed with fame. Many teens and adults quietly (or not so quietly) dream of becoming famous, “going viral”, and reaching others with their message. This cultural shift has fueled the rise of social media influencers: everyday people who have turned their personal social media platforms into powerful tools for connection and persuasion.
What is a social media influencer? Generally, an influencer is a digital creator who builds a dedicated audience on one or more social media platforms. By establishing expertise and trust in a specific niche (such as fitness, beauty, or travel), they shape their followers’ opinions and influence their decisions, most often their purchasing decisions. Those influencers then earn an income through ad revenue from followers engaging with their content, or through brand partnerships with various companies.
The Desire to Be an Influencer
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question commonly asked of young people. The answer to that question has changed radically over the past twenty years. More than half of young people now want to be influencers. Over 60% of middle and high school students, and 57% of those in their twenties, have expressed interest in becoming an influencer, making it one of the most popular career aspirations. Even a large share of adults (roughly 47%) have a desire to be an influencer. Often this choice comes from a desire to “make money”, “be famous,” or sometimes simply to “matter”.
The desire to matter is not wrong, but the direction of that desire often is. Social media platforms are primarily concerned with one thing: self. They train us to make much of self. To share what we are thinking. To post pictures of ourselves, where we are going, and even what we are eating! As our friends and followers engage with our content, we can feel an inflated sense of self-worth and validation. This spurs us to keep sharing more about ourselves.
John the Baptist: Influencer?
John the Baptist is not the first name that comes to mind when one thinks about influencers, but in many ways that is exactly what he was put on this earth to do. He was the forerunner of Christ. He was prepared from birth to prepare the way of the Lord and point others to Him.
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.” (John 1:6-7)
John the Baptist was one of the most well-known prophets in Israel during Christ’s early ministry. We read in the gospel of Matthew that John the Baptist had a massive following during his ministry. “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Matthew 3:5-6)
John was the ultimate “influencer” of his day. This man who ate locusts and wild honey and dressed in camel’s hair drew crowds out in the desert. People came from all around to hear his message of a Messiah. Even the religious leaders of the day could not ignore his inflluence. They came to him asking, “…Who art thou?…What sayest thou of thyself?” (John 1:22)
However, John did not talk about himself. He recognized that his mission was to prepare the way of the Lord. And when Jesus arrived, John did not see this as an opportunity to increase his own fame and magnify his ministry. His desire was for Jesus to have all the glory and attention. “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
As Jesus Increased, John Decreased
Almost immediately, John began losing his followers to Jesus.
“Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” (John 1:35-37)
John’s remaining disciples noticed that their fellow followers were leaving John to follow Jesus. However, John did not get jealous about his waning popularity. He rejoiced!
“And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.” (John 3:25-29)
This was followed by one of John’s most famous statements:
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
John deliberately decreased because He desired Christ to increase. He understood what it truly means to be an influencer. True influence is not measured in followers. It is measured in how many people walk away from us thinking more highly of Jesus than they did before they met us.
Influencers for Christ
John the Baptist’s greatest moments were not when people looked at him, but when he could point to Jesus and say, “Behold the Lamb of God!”. That is the model for every believer who has any measure of influence. Whether online, in the home, at work, or in the local church, we should be pointing others to Christ.
As Christians, we are all called to be influencers, but not in the sense that the world thinks. Jesus commanded us to be light to those around us.
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Notice the goal: we are not to receive glory for our good works. God is the One who is to receive all glory. As lights, we illuminate the darkness of this world with the light of the gospel. But we are not the light. We just use the light God gives us to point others to the one who gave us light. John the Baptist understood this. “He was not the Light; he was sent to bear witness of the Light” (John 1:8).
Paul put it plainly in his letter to the church of Corinth: “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). Every social media platform, every conversation, and each act of service we perform either makes much of us or makes much of Jesus.
How to Influence the World for Christ with Social Media
The influence we should desire is to influence others to trust Christ as their Savior and serve Him with all their heart. We should not be pointing people to ourselves, but pointing others to our Savior.
What does “He must increase, but I must decrease” look like for a Christian on social media?
- It looks like asking before every post: “Does this point people to Jesus or to me?”
- It looks like celebrating when a friend gets the attention instead of competing for likes.
- It looks like using your platform (even if it is only your Facebook profile) to say, “Behold the Lamb of God!” and point others to Jesus Christ.
- It looks like being okay with being just a “voice of one crying in the wilderness” (John 1:23) rather than the star.
- It looks like remembering that without Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5), and that the life we now live is not our own. (Galatians 2:20).
The “Greatest” Was the One Who Decreased
John the Baptist was referred to by Jesus as the greatest man born of women (Matthew 11:11), yet he lived to make himself small so Christ could be great. In a selfie-centered world, the most radical, counter-cultural, and Christ-honoring thing a person can do is joyfully follow the example of John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
May God help us to be less interested in becoming social media influencers for our own glory, but instead to use our God-given gifts to become faithful witnesses for Christ. Be a voice in the wilderness crying, “Behold the Lamb!” That is influence that lasts forever.
*Be sure to visit our “Stewarding Technology” page for more resources on navigating the digital world as believers.
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