Real Influence Begins with a Secure Identity
- Diane Canada
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
Sometimes our motives override our desire to cooperate with God. We seek attention or validation because, deep down, we feel ignored, unseen, misunderstood, or belittled by the world. We crave feeling valuable because we have been unappreciated or unacknowledged. We strive to feel needed because we feel unwanted, invisible, or excluded by people we care about.
At other times, we struggle to release control because of insecurity, anxiety about the unknown, or fear that everything will fall apart if we let go. We insist on being right because we have connected our opinions to our identity. When others reject our ideas, it can feel as though they are rejecting us.
But our identity determines our influence.
When we don't really understand who we are in Christ, we try to prove our value through attention, approval, control, or recognition. When we are finally able to grasp that our worth is immeasurable in Jesus' eyes, we no longer need to use people to feel valuable.
Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we are God’s work of art, and Galatians 2:20 points us to a life centered in Christ rather than self.
A secure identity produces healthy influence.
An insecure identity produces shallow influence.
Which do you see when you look in the mirror?
The evidence of a secure identity in Jesus is the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). This fruit is not a religious costume we wear in public. It is a consistent way others see us because of how we consistently behave, no matter what we're facing.
We can group this fruit by how it appears in daily life: love, kindness, and goodness shape how we treat others; patience, gentleness, and self-control shape how we respond under pressure; joy, peace, and faithfulness steady us inwardly.
Spiritual maturity is not demonstrated by how spiritual we appear when everything goes our way. It is revealed by what comes out of us when we are squeezed, disappointed, challenged, misunderstood, offended, or denied what we want.
Pressure reveals what is truly growing inside us.
Is our fruit ripe or rotten?
Transformation—not imitation—is the goal. We may imitate Christian behavior for a season, but lasting change comes through abiding in Jesus, allowing the Spirit to convict us, repenting, renewing our minds through Scripture, and practicing obedience.
Philippians 4:13 means Christ strengthens us to endure and obey—not that He will fulfill every personal ambition.
Most of our influence happens in kitchens, cars, workplaces, marriages, families, text messages, and quiet moments when no one is watching. It looks like telling the truth, apologizing without excuses, refusing to gossip, setting healthy boundaries, forgiving wisely, and choosing to win a heart rather than an argument.
When we live for an audience of One, we no longer have to chase approval. We are responsible for faithfully representing Christ, not controlling everyone’s response.
Ask yourself: What do people consistently experience when they encounter me? Do my closest relationships see the fruit of the Spirit? Do I want people to notice me, or do I want them to see Christ?
Real influence is not measured by how many people know our name. It is measured by whether those who know us best are drawn to His name. Jesus!
Watch my Podcast Episode on Real Influence, where we dive much deeper into this topic. It will be a blessing to you, and it may just help you more than you expect. That's my prayer...that Jesus will meet you there.
Comments