INTRODUCTION
Influence is the ability to change people’s minds and/or behavior. That ability may be related to one’s wealth, one’s position, one’s reasoning, etc.
We want to have a positive influence on others – maybe to help them stop doing something sinful or to start doing something right. Ultimately, we want to influence people to obey the Gospel and go to heaven.
Absalom was, like Adolf Hitler, a wicked man with the ability to positively influence people in his direction. While he used his ability to influence in a negative way, still, there are some positive characteristics we see in him and can learn from him. Let’s look at 2 Samuel 15:1-6. Verse 1 tells us that Absalom was after the throne and he wanted people to see him as the “crown prince.” Notice the end result in verse 6 – “So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” What did Absalom do to “steal the hearts of the men of Israel”? Let’s consider these six items…
BE A WORKER
Verse 2 – Absalom used to rise early.
What matters in building capital is daily working for the long haul. Consider Colossians 4:5-6. “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
Over time, if you are consistent at serving others, you build up respect, experience, emotional support of others, skills in dealing with different people’s personality, etc.
BE INTERESTED IN OTHERS
Verse 2 – “From what city are you?”
It is an axiom that you treat people the way you see them.
Every man is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). So we ought to be interested in and treat with profound respect other people. Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
BE AGREEABLE WITH OTHERS’ PROBLEMS
Verse 3 – “Your claims are good and right.”
Emotions are what moves people and if others see that you are interested in them, they’ll let you influence them. You show that you are interested in others when you are interested in others.
Listen, empathize and make other people’s problems your own. Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted.”
DO WHAT IS RIGHT BY OTHERS
Verse 4 – “I would give him justice.”
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This point is about character. This is what you are and it comes out in what you do and how you treat others. Paul wrote: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone” (Galatians 6:10).
They see that you don’t have a secret agenda, a personal agenda. You are interested in them for who they are and what they want to accomplish in their lives. Consequently, do what is right. Your character is one thing that will not be buried with you.
HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE OTHERS
Verse 5 – “put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him”
Humility recognizes your own weaknesses and others strengths. But you have to be secure in your strengths before you are willing to recognize your weakness. When you will not submit to the ideas and suggestions of others, you rob them of the power to help you be a better person. It creates a wall in your friendship.
Abraham Lincoln’s leadership is legendary. So also was his willingness to appoint to leadership positions in his own cabinet his former political foes. Lincoln was a strong leader because he was an humble listener.
1 Peter 5:5-6: “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”
BE IMPARTIAL
Verse 6 – “In this manner, Absalom dealt with all Israel”
You build relationships and influence people by building up people – any person, every person. It takes time, energy, and resources to develop relationships with people.
Luke 20:21, people said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.”
CONCLUSION
Certainly, we would not want to imitate Absalom’s motive; he was clearly flattering the people for his own personal interest. We might ask why the people were so willing to be deceived by Absalom. Baldwin writes: “For the masses self-interest outweighed any lurking suspicion as to his motives” (258).
However, he was successful. He was successful in having a positive influence on people because he was a worker, he was interested in others, he was agreeable with others, he did right by others, he was interested in others’ problems and he was impartial. Again, he did it all with impure motives but – he was successful.
–Paul Holland
