I want to be

Lots of folks make New Years Resolutions. Do you? What kind of resolutions do you make? Do you want to lose weight, eat healthy, and get in shape? Do you want to be less critical and more understanding? Do you want more followers in your goal to be an influencer?

Since when was "influencer" an occupation? I think that is particularly an Instagram and TikTok thing. I'm sure I left out the newest and most attractive social media app and all of you young enough to be my children sighed heavily, noticeably, demonstrably. If you have no idea what I'm talking about you might as well also admit you color your gray hair.

But I've noticed young men and women on these platforms listing "influencer" in their bio. Where I would list "pastor" or "husband" or "father" or "accountant," they list "influencer."

If someone self-identifies as an influencer - you see, they weren't born that way, they just say they are that way. I doubt anyone came up to them and said, "Wow, you sure have a lot of influence. Are you an influencer or something?" No, they self-identify as an influencer.

If someone self-identifies as an influencer, I'm stubborn enough to refuse to be influenced by them. I don't have enough hair to wear mine like they do anyway. The clothes they wear don't come in my size.

"Creator" is also an occupation. It means you post a lot of videos of yourself.

But the rush of our culture is to be like everybody else. That specifically means to be as different as possible while fitting into the pop culture mold of uniformity. A conundrum, huh!

Influencers have to - at the same time - be unique, just like all the other influencers. The more unique they are, the more they fit into the cookie cutter.

The outside might be as different as day is from night when you put two influencers side by side, but the inside is pretty much the same. "I want to be famous." "I want everybody to know my name."

They should go to Cheers.

Here's a true truth if there ever was one: Jesus knows your name and he wants to be your Savior, Lord, Friend, Brother.

My New Years Resolutions are more about being and becoming. I have always had a list of things I wanted to do. But this year, I have a list of things I aspire to be.

I want to be a friend my friends consider a friend they can count on. I've not been that very often.

I want to be an encourager. Too often I'm just the opposite.

I want to be generous. I tend to be stingy.

I want to be helpful, kind, joyful, patient. I know me better than you do and that doesn't sound much like me.

I want to be more like Jesus. His Spirit works within me to make that a reality, but I get in the way way too much.

If I yield to the Spirit, he will make me more like Jesus. And all those other things will be part of the package.

Then if I am a good influence on others, so be it.

photo cred: forbesindia.com and shutterfly