Present with God: In my Influences

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. -3 John 11

We all like to believe the myth that we are individuals who make our own choices, define our own personhood, and craft our own destiny. But its closer to the truth to say that we are, in fact, a collage of imitations. Most of our assumptions, beliefs, and habits have been either consciously or subconsciously received and adopted, not independently conceived and constructed. None of us is built from scratch and each of us could benefit from some intentional self-reflection on the influences which have shaped and are shaping our character.

This is what John wants for his readers. Notice the link he draws between what we do and what we imitate. Imitation precedes action. The influences and stimuli we allow into our lives shape us in profound ways. We must be mindfully aware of this and guard our hearts and minds against its influence.

We cannot afford to be careless about our holiness. We must do the self-analysis to be constantly asking ourselves: “How is this influence shaping me?” Is this TV showing molding my heart to be more like Jesus? Is this podcast drawing me closer to God’s presence? Is this artist stirring up my affection for Jesus? Is this relationship causing me to be more loving and kind? Can I comfortably invite God to share this experience with me and feel more connected to him when it is done?

The hard work of maintaining this mindful awareness of our imitations may seem exhausting and perhaps even, a bit, extreme. But if we take John seriously, we must realize the powerful influence we too often give away far too cheaply. By making ourselves aware of God’s presence in all things, we subtly remind ourselves to seek influences that draw us closer to him. In doing so, we will be drawn to imitate good, not evil.

Being Present with God

Make some time to be present with God. Invite him to convict you of areas in your life where you are imitating evil and not good. Allow him to reveal to you hidden areas where your influences are drawing away from him. Ask him to reveal to you how to replace those influences with ones which draw you to be and do good. Thank him for the way that he has made you aware of his presence during this time.