Draw Hearts to God, Not to Yourself.
- Grayson "The Real GM" Marshall
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
When God chooses you, favor follows you. It’s not just a spiritual cliché — it’s a Kingdom reality. Scripture says Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). When you walk in alignment with God’s call, you will naturally attract opportunities, resources, and people. And with that comes something many quietly desire but few are truly prepared to carry: influence.
Influence is not neutral — it will either point people to Christ or pull them toward you. The question is not whether God will entrust you with influence, but whether you will know what to do with it when He does.
1. Remember Who Chose You
Influence is never proof of your greatness — it’s proof of His grace.The moment you start believing you earned your platform, you are in danger of making influence your idol. Paul reminded the Corinthians: “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor. 4:7).
Even Jesus, when praised for His teaching, reminded them where the glory belonged:
“My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent Me.” (John 7:16)
Stewardship begins with humility. The same God who lifted you can also remove you. Staying aware of the Source keeps you from worshipping the stage you stand on.
2. Make the Platform an Altar, Not a Stage
Platforms can be dangerous because they amplify whatever is already in your heart. If pride is there, it will be louder. If purity is there, that will also be louder.
When God gives you a voice, use it to offer people back to Him, not to yourself.Ask yourself: Am I using my platform to be celebrated or to make Him known?
Jesus modeled this when crowds glorified His miracles:
“I do nothing on My own but speak just what the Father has taught Me.” (John 8:28)
A stage seeks applause. An altar seeks sacrifice — starting with yours.
3. Keep Character Ahead of Visibility
Influence grows best in the soil of integrity. If you chase exposure faster than you build character, you risk collapsing under the weight of what you prayed for.
Guard your private life more than your public one. Jesus Himself often withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). Let God prune you in secret so what people see in public is authentic.
Remember: people may be impressed by your gift, but Heaven measures your obedience.
4. Surround Yourself with Truth-Tellers
Influence can isolate you if you let it. As more people celebrate you, fewer people may feel free to confront you. Choose accountability on purpose.Surround yourself with voices that remind you who you are and Who you belong to.
Ask those closest to you:
“Did that decision honor God?”
“Am I letting pride creep in?”
“What blind spots do you see in me?”
Jesus even asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15) — not because He needed validation, but to see where their hearts were.
It takes courage to invite correction — but it keeps you safe.
5. Measure Impact by Faithfulness, Not Followers
We live in a world where numbers equal influence, but in the Kingdom, obedience equals success. God may ask you to speak to one person one day and a thousand the next. Both matter if they’re what He asked for.
Jesus was never impressed by crowds — He often left them to obey the Father’s timing (John 6:15).
Don’t confuse visibility with value. Heaven celebrates the obedient servant, not just the popular one.
6. Keep Pointing People Back to God
Every compliment, every testimony, every win is a chance to redirect glory.When someone says, “You changed my life,” respond with, “It’s Jesus in me.”
Jesus was clear about this:
“By Myself I can do nothing… I seek not to please Myself but Him who sent Me.” (John 5:30)
Think of John the Baptist — his entire mission was to prepare the way and then step aside:
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
7. Stay Hidden in Him
Influence should never replace intimacy. The secret place must remain the place you love most. Your first audience is still God.
Pray before every assignment:
“Lord, don’t let me get in the way of what You want to do. Let them see You, not me.”
Jesus said it plainly:
“When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matt. 6:6)
Influence is not evil — but it is dangerous if left unmanaged. Stewarding influence means keeping God at the center, guarding your heart, and refusing to let the applause of people drown out the whisper of Heaven.
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