The Weight of Influence

Davy Crockett was my first hero.

I first learned of him thanks to John Wayne, and later Fess Parker.  As I grew older, I learned the true history of the man, and that only served to heighten my respect for him.  For years, I'd wanted to see the 2004 film that the clip above is from, and this past weekend, I finally did.

The Davy Crockett is portrayed was still a man of bravery and bravado- but he was something else.  Mortal.  Parker and Wayne had lived up to the legendary "killed him a bear, when he was only three" kind of hero.  Thornton introduced a Crockett that was a living legend a little uncomfortable with the weight of being a living legend.  The line in the above clip about what David the individual would do versus what Davy the Legend would do speaks volumes.  "But that Davy Crockett feller, they're all watching him."

I'm no Davy Crockett.  And while I am a pastor and a sort-of blogger, my influence is pretty small.  But I understand what Crockett was saying there- people are watching what I do, and they make their choices, important ones, based on what I do.  The thing is, every one of carries that weight, public figure or not.

Your kids watch you.  Your co-workers watch you. Your spouse/significant other watches you.  And you represent something.  Not some mythical legend like Davy Crockett's reputation, but something of eternal significance.  If you call yourself a believer in Christ, you are His representative.  People- believers and non-believers alike- look to you.  Put hope in you, look for answers from you, learn from you.

Buried in the Psalms, there is a verse that speaks so clearly to this.  It has stuck with me since I first found it, largely because it serves to remind me that no matter how insignificant I may feel myself from time to time, I have influence.  And it is weighty.

Psalm 69:6 says, "Lord, the LORD Almighty, may those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me; God of Israel, may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me."


To me, there are two key parts to this verse.  The first is that those who hope in God should not be disgraced because of me.  My actions, my choice of words, my attitude- they all reflect on other followers of Christ.  My mistakes can disgrace large numbers of people.  Don't believe me- think about every time a celebrity who professes Christ does something really stupid.  Or when a killer claims to be a Christian and did what they did for Him.  Or when a pastor or priest sexually abuses anyone. One person's problem can create problems for all of us.  So, our desire should be to live in such a way that we avoid the potential for disgrace at all costs.  Know your weaknesses, and fortify your life against them.  This doesn't mean YOU fortify EVERYONE'S life against it- that would be legalism.  It means owning up to your failures, public and private, and working through them.  All will falter, but acknowledging the failure and seeking restoration minimizes the disgrace your actions bring.


The second part is that those who are looking for God may not find Him if my life isn't what it should be.  How many people have said something to the affect that, "I'd be a Christian, if it weren't for Christians?"  Many people find the teachings of Christ, but when they don't find them lived out in the lives of those who go by His name, the reject Him.  More than just when we claim Christianity and do nothing, it's also a problem when we claim Christ and do anti-Christian things.  When we are racist, or judgmental, when we are unforgiving, when we are unloving.  When we trust politics more than Jesus.  When we spew venom instead of praise.  People are put to shame because they reject Christ or accept a false version of Him that we are living out.  


The Weight of Influence is a heavy one.


It requires us to be selfless, to think more of the one we represent than ourselves.  Davy Crockett understood that in the clip above.  For himself, he wanted to live.  But for those around, those he influenced, he had to sacrifice.  He had to stand his ground, knowing what it would probably cost.  It pained him.  But for Davy Crockett in his final days at the Alamo, he wanted to give no disgrace to those who hoped, and he wanted to allow no shame to fall on those who were seeking victory.


Life is our Alamo- you are our Crockett.