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“Don’t hang around with those girls,” my grandmother said to me when I was in high school. “They’re a rough bunch and a bad influence on you.”

I didn’t fully understand at the time and didn’t want to heed her advice. Those were the cool girls. The popular ones. I wanted to go where they went and do what they did. After all, what was wrong with that? I wanted to be like them—or at least I thought so.

As it turned out, Mama was right. I had to separate myself from that rowdy crowd before I got in trouble.

I’ve thought about her advice a lot over the years as I’ve looked back at all the people and circumstances that have impacted my life the most—some good, others not so much.

Let’s face it. We can easily be influenced, either positively or negatively, by other people. Money, fame, jobs, the environment, even the church. It’s a matter of where and with whom we spend our time and direct our focus.

The truth is Jesus wants to have more influence on us than anyone or anything else. That can only happen when we spend quality time with Him.

In the story of Mary and Martha, Martha busied herself making preparations for Jesus while Mary sat contentedly at His feet, taking in every word. When Martha complained about all the work she was doing without her sister, Jesus said:

Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her. (Luke 10:41-42 TPT)

Jesus wants to spend time with those He loves. That means me, and it means you.

Think about it for a moment. Who has the most significant influence in your life? Let it be the Lord.