It has been said that if all mediums of advertising were lumped together, it would be the largest industry in our country today. I don’t know whether or not that’s so, but I do know that advertising has a great influence in our lives.

Advertising is a fairly recent phenomenon and owes the capitalistic free society for its existence. We are not the only country whose mass media is dominated by advertising, but we are the originator of such. Advertising is everywhere in our time. Magazines, newspapers, radio, even the ball park signs, are filled with someone’s effort to get the public interested in their product or service. You can’t even watch Monday Night Football anymore without wondering if you’re watching the game or the commercials.

Certainly it is not my notion to condemn advertising as inherently evil, for to do so would be to say more than can be proven. However, it should be noted, and that carefully, that advertising has a huge influence in our lives. It is each person’s responsibility to see to it that he is not being unduly influenced, either by advertising or by other cultural appeals that are so dominant in our society today.

Advertising is only one form of influence. Influence (kin etymologically to influenza) is everywhere, some of it good, some bad. Some warnings are in order concerning the dangers of improper influence.

Don’t be influenced by all the current styles. I don’t want to make too much of that, but there are some things in today’s styles that are just not appropriate for the Christian. Some among us have decided that public opinion is the authority in style. Not so. Certainly, we would be foolish to ignore culture in style, but the main concern for the Christian is shamefacedness and modesty. And I don’t need to identify that. Everyone knows what is modest and what is not. When Christians begin to flirt with the world, there’s danger ahead. No, we are not be out of vogue and excessively odd, but we need to be careful how we allow the world to influence our dress nonetheless. Read James 3:1-8.

Don’t be influenced by popular ethics. According to society, it’s acceptable to do many things that, if examined in the light of God’s word, are sinful and wrong. For instance, it’s almost a game to see if you can get away with cheating the government in this age. It seems that if a person can “get away with it,” it makes it moral. The “business lie,” is so common today it is expected in most circles. I heard an owner of a business say about his manager, “Let him alone, they all scrape a little off the top. It’s just business.” How sad. If you were to make a list of the “little” sins done in the name of business, or considered “part of life” you would likely be shocked. But when they’re done a little at a time, they have taken on an air of almost trivial insignificance. Sin is sin, folks, no matter how small it seems or in what name it is done. Read James 4:1-5.

Don’t be influenced by men’s religious ideas. Billy Graham is not God. Nor is Pope John. Nor is the Southern Baptist convention. No man or group of men has the right to decide regarding religious matters; that is reserved for God alone. It’s strange to me how people today accept a thing without question so long as it is said with a sanctimonious tone or from some pulpit. It’s good to admire men of intelligence and prudence. However, men are men. They are fallible and make mistakes. Further, they are powerless to save themselves. Remember, too, that even a man with degrees without number is neither intelligent nor prudent if he does not subscribe to and practice the word of God, the only divine directive. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Jn. 9; and 1 Pet. 4:11.

Don’t be influenced by consequences. Far too many of our decisions are made with regard to what the consequences will be. We decide whether we will or will not obey based on how it’s going to affect us. For instance, it it’s going to make us uncomfortable, we don’t want to do it. If it’s going to make us unpopular, we will leave it off. If it’s going to cost us something, we’d just rather not do it. Hang the consequences! Follow God! We would do well to consider what is going to happen ultimately if we don’t do what God says, regardless of the consequences. We cannot know the future, but one thing is certain: God knows and He will bring every work into judgment. We best be concerned about that consequence and let the lesser ones alone. Read Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.

Influence is a powerful thing. The devil is a pro at causing people to come under the influence of influence. He uses it effectively. Be careful what you watch, what you read, how you speak, where you go. Someone is watching.

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