https://odb.org/2025/12/05/the-power-of-influence-3
Galatians 5:7–10 (NIV): 7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.
It was Tuesday at the gym, so the people walking around the track were supposed to go clockwise. The first walkers my wife joined were doing that. But then another person walked onto the track going counterclockwise. A couple of her friends joined her—and then another. Suddenly there was chaos on the track—and it took a few minutes to restore order.
While the wrong-way walkers intended no harm, I couldn’t help but think about the power of influence. One person headed the wrong way leads to another, and on it goes. It’s a bit like Proverbs 13:20: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Following a person going the wrong way leads to trouble. (Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread 5th December 2025)
There is an aspect of going the wrong way that we should be careful in these end times. Not so much wrong teachings although that would well lead us astray. The point I like to highlight this morning is how strong we want to hold on to a certain belief or spiritual principle. For a simpler example, in the area of divine healing, there were teachings that focussed on our faith such that our faith must be strong and unwavering to the extent of excluding medical treatment. It is like if you do not go for medical treatment, you are telling God that you are 100% dependent on Him and vice versa. In a way, it’s an appealing principle because the LORD does expect us to totally depend on Him. But the flaw in that principle is that we are sort of putting God in a spot – heal me or I die. A bit like the temptation of the devil to Jesus to jump down from the top of the Temple. Always remember that medical science is part of the natural world.
The overriding spiritual principle remains that as much as healing is real, it is still at the grace of God and that means it is discretionary and not compulsory on the part of God. We should all know by now that we cannot “force” God into anything as He is always sovereign in how He responds and His timing is always His choice. Of course at the other extreme is to be dismissive of healing and to only have unbelief cloud our hearts that we completely miss out on the supernatural side of our relationship with God.
If we find ourselves being too dogmatic or taking unconventional or radical views over certain things especially on spiritual matters, we need to check ourselves and pray that the Lord will enlighten us to see if we are going the wrong way. Some views if taken to the extreme may have irreversible and even fatal consequences. Not all unconventional ways are wrong but in most cases, it is better to follow the crowd walking clockwise, rather than walk the wrong way, anti-clockwise. The crowd is not always right though. So it still boils down to how well we know our God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ronnie's Thoughts 