Wanna Be an Influencer?
I had a conversation with a girlfriend over lunch last week about the social media influencer craze. I admitted to her (after her feeling weird that she recognized the child of a woman she follows on Instagram but doesn’t know in real life) that the whole influencer thing in general just bugs me! Then, from a completely entitled place, I told her “they just haven’t earned that kind of celebrity,” that kind of lime-lit platform.
She replied with a thoughtful and respectful, “why do you think you feel that way?” (she’s a therapist) to which I had no substantial answer besides that I didn’t feel lay-fashion advice merited any sort of glamorized career. Who made them important? Why do real people get so invested into the lives of others they’ll never meet or hug or a share a meal with? It didn’t make sense.
Then I remembered something one of our She’s in the City guest wisely said:
“INFLUENCER IS JUST A WORD. EVERYONE IS AN INFLUENCER IN LIFE.”
This coming from a young woman with nearly 150k followers she neither wanted nor asked for but who is using it to empower, encourage, and have real conversations with real women about real hard issues. Jessica Clarke didn’t earn her influencer status any more than the moms or college students or any of the other women trying to make a difference and make a living with their online voice. But it’s her loose hold on her platform that makes her voice that much more heard. She didn’t work to become an influencer. She started dating a star from the Bachelor (not on the show). She gained immediate influence and began to humbly work to pour into those following her life.
The more I thought about women like Jess and looked back at my own posts that I’d hoped might encourage my very small number of followers, the more I realized I’m not irritated that these people have influence. I’m irritated that their stages are larger and their voices are louder than mine. It’s envy for something I don’t feel like many in these positions have earned. Then enter the Holy Spirit, with a sharp stab to my prideful heart.
THE LORD DOESN’T MEASURE OUR INFLUENCE FOR THE KINGDOM BY OUR FOLLOWINGS. HE MEASURES IT BY HOW FAITHFULLY WE FOLLOW.
Under his direction and his guidance, we are ALL called to be influencers for the gospel, however small or large our circle may be, and NONE of us have earned the right to that platform. Jesus earned it for all of us and then simply invited us up on stage.
After all, if the power of our voice really lies in the number of people listening, then Jesus would rank as one of the first century’s worst influencers. Hardly more than twelve committed followers during his lifetime and a couple hundred after his resurrection – not quite blue check material. Yet his story, his following, and his message have grown and sustained exponentially more following than any other figure in history. And not just bandwagon fans, true believers.
We all want the numbers – the followers, the likes, the influence. But maybe what Jess reminded us is exactly what Jesus was trying to show us. Maybe God’s will for all of us is to be an influencer to smaller groups in bigger ways? Maybe we stop hating on the people who seem to have made it and remember how much we can make of right where we are? Maybe we quit trying to influence many and start working to really change a few?
So to all the blue check, professional influencers out there, keep using your voice for the right reasons. And to all the rest of us, water cooler or OrangeTheory or day-care influencers, let’s not forget our voices can be just as loud.