Over the Influence Series: Living Spirit-Led in a Noisy World

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Speaker 1: Life Audio. Okay, I've got to know, are you overly influenced? So this morning, I had seen something on Instagram, so I decided to hang from my fingertips for about six seconds because that's all the longer I can make it. But that's supposed to wake up my cartilage, and no one wants sleepy cartilage at my age, apparently. And then I was scrolling and I ordered a dress from a store I've never shopped at, but I saw a woman try it on, like literally she was wearing undergarments and then she put it on on Instagram and it looks really good on her and she's about my size and shape or at least that's how it looks. So I ordered it. Maybe it'll look good on me too. Then I prepared a new special coffee. Also something I ordered from a real ad. It's mushroom coffee. I don't like mushrooms necessarily, but this promises to be calming. I could use more calm. And the woman in the reel said, this coffee will make me a better person. It tasted good, but I'm afraid that's where it ends. And now I'm sitting at my desk recording this podcast with my feet on my shake plate, excuse me, vibration plate used to detoxify my lymphatic system. What's so funny is is that in my writer's group recently, a friend had a memoir and she had included a memory of her parents standing on shake plates, which would have been the vibration plate equivalent in the 70s or 80s. And as I read it, I immediately felt like, oh my word, I've been conned. They just repurposed it and sold it to me for lymphatic drainage. I am a sucker for the influencers. Are you? If so, you're in the right place. Welcome to a brand new series on the Compare To Podcast. I'm Heather Creekmore, your host, and this series is called Over the Influence. And over the next few weeks, we're going to be taking a hard, honest, and maybe kind of hilarious look at who's actually steering the ship of our lives. As Christian women, we know all that God and Jesus answers, right? God leads me. His Holy Spirit inside of me directs me. But goodness, friends, We've got so many other things influencing us. And these other voices, these other influences, they are loud and convincing. So that's what we're going to be looking at over the next couple of weeks. I'm so glad you're here for it. Let's get to today's episode. Before we do, I want to invite you to two things. First, go check out my website. improvebodyimage.com. You can sign up to connect with us there, but you can find out about my free Bible studies on YouVersion. You can find out all about my books. You can find our library of more than 500 podcast episodes and search for content that you're specifically looking for there. I invite you to go to improvedbodyimage.com and find everything there. Also, if this episode blesses you, I would be so encouraged if you would consider leaving a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps the algorithm show this episode and this podcast to other Christian women. Now let's get to today's episode. Okay, so here's the big thing. Like more than anything in this day and age when we have access to so much information and research, we sort of like to think of ourselves as independent thinkers, free agents, captains of our own destiny. But let's be real for a second. How many times have you bought something because an influencer held it up and said, guys, this changed my life and you believed them? despite the fact that they say that about literally everything they're paid to promote. Or maybe you've changed your opinion on a restaurant because of a star rating, not your own taste buds. I've got a story about that in just a minute. Or maybe you felt insecure about a part of your body that And maybe you never thought about that part of your body until the algorithm decided to show you 40 other people who have ways to fix that body part or who are able to explain why that body part should look one way and not the other way. And now all you can think about is that body part and whether or not you need to buy the device or the cream or whatever it is to fix it. Or how about this one? Have you made a parenting decision? and then watched a reel on how parenting your child like that will lead to ultimate demise. Maybe you've made career decisions that way, even a faith decision, based on what looked good or sounded confident, or got a ton of likes on whatever social media you're watching. Friends, we are swimming. Okay, no, maybe it's more accurate to say we are marinating in influence all day, every day, from the second we wake up and check our phones to the moment we fall asleep or some of us scrolling or watching something. And all day long, someone or something is shouting. It's subtle, but I'd say it's shouting. Here's who you should be. Here's what you should want. Here's what matters. here's what will make you valuable. Here's what will make you lovable. And most of the time, we don't even notice that it's happening because friends, this has just become our normal. Now let's have some fun with this because honestly, the ways we get influenced are a little ridiculous when you say them out loud. I don't know, maybe you've rearranged your entire living room because that 30 second video told you how you should do it. And now you're not sure if the couch placement actually works in your space, but it's supposed to be better. Or maybe you've pretended to like a beverage or a movie or a workout style because quote unquote, everyone said it was good. And you didn't want to be the one person who didn't get it. Or maybe you started using a slang word. you don't even understand because you've heard it enough times that it started to feel like it should be a normal part of your vocabulary too. Or maybe you've bought the it water bottle. I only know that there is an it water bottle because I have a teenage daughter who rejected her Stanley and moved to her Awala, which I guess was the it bottle of 2025. And Although I don't know, I'm hearing that HydroJug is going to make a comeback. At some point we were into Yetis. I live in Austin, go Yeti. But it's silly. We have to keep up with having the right container. to hold our water as we carry it around. And it's not just water bottles, of course, it's the bag, the it bag. I mean, that's funny too, right? Lululemon came out with the everywhere belt bag, which essentially was a fanny pack, which 10 years ago we would have said, no, I'll never carry that. And suddenly everyone has one. The it planner, the it style of jeans, How many of these things have you bought? Not because you necessarily needed them, but because somewhere deep down you believed owning that thing would make you that kind of person. It would help your identity or your value or your status. Oh, goodness. Yes. I mean, here's the punchline, friend. None of these things are evil. You can go buy whatever kind of water bottle you want. Rearranging your furniture isn't a moral failure. But I simply want us to stop and consider why. Now, here's a funny story. I was traveling to visit my daughter at college this weekend, and I had the opportunity to stay in a friend's guest home. And she was so sweet and so thoughtful that she had a stocked fridge and snacks waiting for us. But here's what was amazing, but also freaked me out a little bit as I've been thinking about this topic. There are lots of different brands at grocery stores, right? Lots of different items. Maybe you could say an infinite number of items. But somehow, without consulting me or anyone that knows me, she had chosen all the same items and brands. to stock that fridge with and stock that snack bowl with that I normally buy. Now, until recently, we lived in the same town and we were part of the same community, but it occurred to me the only possible way we could have ended up with the same preferences in all of these foods and all of these brands is because somewhere in our community, in our worlds, we've picked up the same messages that these are the right things to eat. and the right brands to buy. I mean, she and I had never had a discussion about my preference for Chobani or Kerrygold, but somehow, some way, we were both influenced into choosing these same items. And here's what I think is so important for us to notice. We are constantly being shaped by voices, and we didn't choose these voices because but we rarely examine what they are and how they're instructing us. We'll talk more about this right after this quick break. So here's the big question under all the funny stuff. If you're being influenced that easily by a 30 second video, oh goodness, I don't even need 30 seconds. Let's just be honest, a 10 second video. What else is shaping us that we haven't even noticed? What's shaping our sense of worth, our definition of success, our parenting style, our politics, our theology, our relationships, our pace of life, our anxiety, comparison, ambition? Somebody or something is speaking into all of these areas. And the question isn't whether or not we are influenced. Everybody is influenced by something. The real question is, who or what is the loudest voice in my life right now today? Is the loudest voice my friends? Is the loudest voice culture? Is the loudest voice TikTok? Is it comparison that's driving me? Is it my upbringing? Is it FOMO, fear of missing out? Is it my need for approval? Is it just the algorithm that is driving me to a certain outcome? What is it? Who is that someone? What is that something? And is it the right voice to guide my life? Or is the right voice something or someone steadier than all of that. So here's the invitation over the next few weeks during this Over the Influence series. We're going to pull back the curtain on all of us. We're going to laugh at ourselves a lot because honestly, some of the ways we are swayed are downright silly. But we're also going to get honest about something deeper. Are we living influenced lives or are we living spirit-led lives? And the reason why I titled this series like I did, Over the Influence, is friends, I think to live for Jesus, we have to be over the influence. That doesn't mean I'm not going to do any online shopping anymore, but it does mean I am going to be led by the Holy Spirit in my decisions more so than I am influenced by marketers and voices in this world, a lot of which are maybe even contradict the voice of the Holy Spirit. There are two very different ways we can move through daily life. An influenced life is reactive. It follows trends. It chases approval. It's constantly recalibrating based on outside noise. It's constantly saying, am I carrying the right bag? Am I carrying the right water bottle? Am I wearing the right thing? It's focused on me and my ability to fit in. But a spirit-led life listens for one voice above all the others. And it lets that voice set the direction, the pace, and the priorities. And a spirit-led life actually gives me the freedom to take my mind off myself. Now, I'm not talking about neglect. What I'm referring to is this concept that Tim Keller called self-forgetfulness. right? And it's really the only antidote to a life that's spent trying to keep up, a life that's spent caught in comparison, body image issues that keep us uber focused on ourselves. The concept is to not think less of ourselves, but to think of ourselves less. but boy, we can't do that when we're influenced with all these different ways to think of ourselves more and all these different variables that we're supposed to get right in order to be the right kind of person according to culture standards or our circle standards or Instagram standards, right? But as Christians, We're supposed to live Spirit-led. In our lives, we're supposed to be listening for the Holy Spirit to set the direction, the pace, the priorities. And we know this is how we're supposed to live because Scripture tells us that. Let's just look at a couple here quickly. You can look these up later. I encourage you to do so. Romans 8.14 talks about those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The concept here is if we're a sheep, we're supposed to be following the shepherd, right? We're not great sheep if we're not listening to the voice of the shepherd and going where the shepherd tells us to go. And so God recognizes his children by those who are listening to the direction from the spirit. Galatians 5.16, so I say, walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Walking by the Spirit is protective in terms of keeping us from sin. As we listen to the Holy Spirit's direction, it keeps us from making really bad decisions that will ultimately hurt us. Galatians 5.25, since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Oh, that one's kind of interesting, right? Because I feel like I'm trying to keep in step with Instagram influencers. Keeping in step with the spirit should be our goal as Christian women. John 16, 13, when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. Oh goodness. We're going to talk later in the series about the difference between wisdom and knowledge and all the different kinds of truth that is presented to us, right? But God's truth is the only capital T truth. And we have to listen to the spirit if we ever want to know real truth, right? We don't have a chance of finding it anywhere else. And while marketers can be obnoxious and relentless about trying to get our attention, the Holy Spirit uses a still, small voice. This concept comes from 1 Kings 9, 11 to 13, and that's where Elijah was waiting for God to speak to him. And there was like wind and fire and earthquake. And Elijah thought maybe God's voice was in each of those. But God's voice, when he finally spoke, it was a gentle whisper. But boy, it's hard to listen for a gentle whisper in this super noisy world, isn't it? And that's why I'm doing this podcast series. So here's your homework, okay? Here's what I want you to sit with this week. I want you to ask yourself, who is the guiding voice in my life? Okay, not who you'd like it to be. Okay, I want you to get honest. It's not who it should be theoretically. Again, we're all really good at giving the God and Jesus answers very quickly. But I want you to dig deep and look at if you tracked your decisions, your scrolling, your spending, your self-talk in this past week, who's driving the car? What or who is influencing you the most? All I'm asking is for you to notice. Take some time this week and just observe. Why am I wearing what I'm wearing? Why am I watching the shows I'm watching? Why am I drinking or eating what I'm drinking or eating? Is it because these are my preferences or is it because I've been told this is what I should be doing? Is it because someone... suggested it and I took it as more than just a suggestion. I took it as perhaps something I needed to do to be cool or fit in. Okay. Here's another funny story. I went to a restaurant recently and I thought it was amazing. It's super close to my house. And so it was kind of odd that no one had recommended it to me before. It's in a small strip mall location. So I kind of wrote it off to maybe others don't know about it. But then when I told a few people about my wonderful dinner there, they looked surprised. They didn't feel that same way about the restaurant. Now, okay, maybe it was under new management. Maybe they hadn't been there in a while. I mean, there's all kinds of external reasons for this. But honestly, their response made me question my feelings about the restaurant too. Maybe it actually wasn't that good. Or maybe I was just really hungry that day and, you know, my taste buds were off. I mean, how silly is it? But I kind of thought, well, maybe it's just not a cool place to go. Like, well, you know, maybe people don't like to go to restaurants and little strip malls and maybe all the cool people go downtown and that's where the good restaurants are. And maybe liking this restaurant revealed to others how tragically uncool I am. Maybe I shouldn't like this restaurant after all. I mean, it's totally ridiculous, right? It zaps me right back to the seventh grade in so many ways. Yet I'm sharing because I wonder, have you done this too? Maybe you determined that you loved a new pair of shoes and you wore them and people noticed, but they didn't necessarily compliment them. And suddenly your feelings about those new shoes you loved changed very quickly. I mean, these are fairly mundane examples, but what I hope you can see is that trying to keep up with the ways our influences change can be, first, very expensive, right? But frustrating. We not only lose the opportunity to hear from the Holy Spirit, but we can also lose who he uniquely made us to be because we feel this pressure to conform, to be like everyone else, to fit in. And I don't know, maybe you've heard a Bible verse or two about conforming to the world, right? It's okay. We don't have to do it because everyone else is doing it. In fact, God's desire is for us to be transformed, not conformed. Well, that's all for this episode. This first one in our series over the influence. Next time, we're going to dig into where this all starts, like how influence sneaks in before we're even old enough to notice it and why awareness is the first step toward freedom. And we're going to talk more about what it really means to be spirit led. What does that look like? And how is that different from being influenced? Until then, remember your homework, pay attention to what's influencing you today, the ads, the opinions, the voices, just notice them, and we'll talk about what to do with all that awareness next time. Hey, thanks for listening today. I hope something today has helped you stop comparing and start living. Bye-bye. The Compared to Podcast is proud to be part of the Life Audio Podcast Network. For more great Christian podcasts, go to lifeaudio.com.