"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?" - Eminem
Hezekiah was one of Judah's kings who did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Shebna served over the king's house and was a man of great influence, but he failed to steward that position well.
Isaiah writes: "So I will drive you out of your office, And from your position he will pull you down. 'Then it shall be in that day, That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; I will clothe him with your robe And strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem And to the house of Judah." Isaiah 22:19-21
Shebna used his position for selfish gain and personal recognition. Rather than leveraging his influence for God's purposes, he leveraged it for himself.
So how do you use the influence God has given you?
Bet you never thought I would quote Eminem! While he doesn't capture the whole picture, his question is worth considering. Will we let the influence God has entrusted to us slip away?
Whether your position is large or small, public or unseen, it carries with it the opportunity to impact others. Yes, you may have worked hard to get where you are, and that's not being dismissed. But no position ever reaches our hands without first passing through the Lord's hands.
So, are you using what He has entrusted to you for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom?
Every day we wake up with a choice: Will we serve ourselves, or will we serve the Lord and His purposes?
My prayer is that God would give each of us the grace to faithfully leverage what we have been given for His greater purposes.
Remember: Influence is not measured by how many people know your name, but by how faithfully you point people to His.
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.