The Grace of Influence

Devotional

“And when they found Him, they said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’” Mark 1:37

John the Baptist had no social status, no temple pulpit, and no glamorous setting. He was in the wilderness. Yet all Jerusalem and Judea went out to him (Mark 1:5). He didn’t chase crowds; grace drew them. He wasn’t in the centre; he was in alignment.

There’s a kind of influence that doesn’t come from strategy, status, or self-promotion. It comes from being in the place God has assigned, saying what God has told you, and preparing the way for someone greater than yourself. John’s voice carried weight because it echoed God’s voice. He was hidden, but heaven had spotlighted him.

In Mark 1:37, the same grace was upon Jesus. “Everyone is looking for you,” the disciples said; not because he sought fame, but because he carried something eternal. True influence flows from obedience, not ambition. It’s not about being visible; it’s about being aligned. When God has placed his hand on your life, even the wilderness can become a platform.

There are many social butterflies in the church; always visible, always speaking, always busy. But visibility is not the same as influence, and activity is not the same as anointing.

John the Baptist wasn’t flitting from crowd to crowd. He was planted, not popular. He stayed in the wilderness; yet the people left the cities to find him. That’s the grace of divine influence. It doesn’t depend on personality, popularity, or public presence. It rests on purpose and preparation.

There’s a difference between being well-liked and being weighty in the Spirit. Some are known by many, but known by heaven for little. Others are quiet in the eyes of men but thunder in the courts of God.

Ask yourself: Am I chasing attention, or carrying authority? Let’s not mistake charisma for calling, or applause for approval. Influence in the Kingdom is not built on crowds, but on consecration.

So come out of the noise. Let God shape you in the wilderness. Let your voice be forged in stillness. Because when God breathes on a life, even the wilderness becomes a sanctuary, and even one voice can prepare the way for the Lord.