Influence is the power to affect or change someone. A person of influence is a person that has clout, leverage or even impact with others. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're in the public eye. There are many people of influence that have been relatively unheard of.
Elizabeth Everest is an example of a person of influence who is virtually unheard of. I'm confident that the majority of the people reading this would never have heard of Elizabeth Everest. And yet, she influenced Great Britain and the Western World more than most people. Who was Elizabeth Everest? She was the woman hired to be Winston Churchill's nanny when he was a young boy.
Churchill's parents were high flying socialites amongst England's aristocrats and the demands of their socialite lifestyle meant they needed a nanny to look after Winston and his brother. Enter Elizabeth Everest; a young woman with a deep and sincere love for God. She modelled a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus to an impressionable Winston who until then had only witnessed the outward ceremonies and protocols of a traditional church.
It's not surprising then that at the end of a long and arduous war with Germany, Winston led the entire parliament to Westminster Abbey for a time of worship and thanksgiving. In fact, the Abbey was opened all day and over 25,000 people attended hourly services of thanksgiving to God for the protection and victory. All of this coming from the influence of a young Elizabeth Everest.
Just like Everest, God desires that each of us become people of influence. But how do we become people of influence? There are three essential keys to becoming a person of influence (and you will find every person of influence will be in possession of these).
- A person of influence must be authentic
- A person of influence must be passionate
- A person of influence must demonstrate compassion
Want to know more? The audio recording below reveals more about how to become a person of influence.
Becoming A Person Of Influence