Influence Comes from Whose You Are
My Story with My Unique Influence
Scripture Connection
Esther 4:13-14
Since making an intentional effort to show up and encourage women online, I have learned influence (or the lack thereof) can make or break growth. Or so I’ve heard. Time and again, this concept of influence is drilled into unsuspecting hopefuls, dangled in front of hungry eyes like a golden carrot. This influence is the result of work—hurry, busy, hustle, worry. But I’m convinced that isn’t the kind of influence that lasts. No matter how much I pour in, it isn’t enough. There will always be one more follower to woo, one more milestone to reach, one more post to make.
Here’s the thing: Influence isn’t a bad thing. It is a tool that, in the right hands, can bring about much needed change. It can spur movements. But when our idea of influence is shaped by a goal connected to our external worth, it can be dangerous. So how should we frame influence in our lives? I would posit that influence isn’t only about who you are—it’s also about whose you are.
When we read Esther’s story, it’s easy to conclude that she could stand in the gap for her people because she was the queen. Erroneously, we assume that her position equaled her influence. And many of us can relate to this thought process based on what we have been taught about influence.
There will always be one more follower to woo, one more milestone to reach, one more post to make.
However, when we take a closer look at her story, the fact that Esther was queen wasn’t the only factor that allowed her to make such a significant impact on history. Remember, Vashti was also queen. There had to be something more than the title or the position that gave Esther this influence.
Esther was orphaned. This was a very unwelcome position for a young woman. She had no influence of her own. In biblical times, a woman’s position and influence were connected to her father until marriage and after to her husband and sons. A single young woman without a father already held a disadvantaged position. Her cousin Mordecai took her in as his own daughter and raised her. This was common, as the male next of kin would take care of disadvantaged female relatives (widows and orphans) to protect the family line and honor. This would sometimes even include marrying and having children with these women. (Remember Boaz and Ruth?)
So, Mordecai’s care for Esther restored her position. But more than this, there was another Caregiver who was ordering Esther’s steps, building in her a resolve and a faith that could not be shaken and using the hard parts of her story as a platform to launch her. And this, my friend, is the key to her influence—and ours as well.

So many of us believe we don’t have influence without certain benchmarks that outline some specific measure of success. Esther was called into action. It just happened that the influence she already had before she got to the palace propelled her to become queen. Her upbringing, her care, her talents, skills, abilities, and her faith were present prior to her receiving a position. She gained favor everywhere she went.
There was something about her because of whose she was long before there was a position to fill. She was able to accomplish the work of saving her people because of the God who had orchestrated her steps. She would be influential whether she was in the palace or not. My hope is that you would hold this as true for yourself, as well.
As women, it can be so easy to reduce our influence to positions or titles, especially if those are tied to some personal gain or benefit. Misunderstood influence can fill a void we may not even be aware of. We can be tempted to forget the God who can sometimes seem silent in our story. But when we look back on our journeys, we see his fingerprints on our lives. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
There was something about Esther because of whose she was long before there was a position to fill.
Any influence we may gain is for his glory and the greater narrative of his story of which we are a precious part. When we understand this, there will be no position or external pull that defines us.

“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”.” Esther 4:13-14, NLT
This was critical for me to understand as I navigated online influence. Influence was also what I brought with me, not just what I gained from showing up in the palaces where I had been called. My worth had already been established in my development. God built me through relationship with him, through those hard experiences and solitary times. God built something that could not be forged in an instant when I was thrust into a position of influence or given a title. My identity connects to whose I am. I am a beloved daughter of God. Dear friend, so does yours. And so are you. God’s work in you is your influence.
reflect
What are your areas of influence?
Which areas have shaped your sense of your identity, value, and worth?
imagine
Imagine being given an influential role or title. How would you show that you trust God to lead you just as Esther did?

QUANTRILLA ARD, PhD
is a faith-based personal and spiritual development author, speaker, Bible teacher, and literary agent who believes in the power of collective strength, community, and fellowship.