Judges 18:19
"And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?"
One of the things people often use in determining God's will is found in the verse above. The men of Dan came to the house of Micah and demanded the priest to come and be a priest for them. They reasoned with this priest by asking if it was "...better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?" They used the influence card to get this man to leave where he was supposed to be which eventually resulted in this man's compromise.
I have watched many people determine God's will with the influence card. They look at which decision will allow them to influence, and they take the side of more influence. Yet, they never pray and ask the mind of God to determine what His mind is concerning His will for their life. One would think that if you want to know the will of God that you would go to God to find it out. Yet, many people have left God's will for the influence card.
Let me remind you that God's will is not based upon numbers. These men used numbers to successfully influence this man that it was God's will to go with them. Numbers have never been the determining factor in God's will. For instance, God had Philip leave a revival where people were getting saved to go witness to one person in the desert. Never let numbers influence your decision towards God's will.
Moreover, God's will is not based upon what you feel is better. In other words, just because you feel it would be good for you to go somewhere or do something doesn't make it right. Just because you feel it will help someone else better doesn't make it right. This man felt it was better to help many, and he was wrong. God's will is never based upon a feeling; instead, it is based upon God's desire for your life.
Furthermore, God's will is not based upon influence by position. This man was offered to be a priest unto a whole tribe, but that didn't make it right. Just because you obtain a better position doesn't make something right. Balaam followed that thinking and it led to his disobedience and compromise. Just because you may gain a better position that allows you to influence more people doesn't make it God's will. Again, God doesn't need your influence to do His will through your life.
God's will is based upon what He called you to do. You need to find the will of God more than you need to worry about the influence card. Knowing the mind of God for what He wants you to do is the most important thing you can determine. You won't find His mind when you are concerned with the influence card. You will only find His mind by spending much time in the Scriptures and in prayer.
The next time you are faced with determining God's will for your life and someone uses the influence card to persuade you, remember this story and where it led this priest. If you start determining God's will because of influence, then you will eventually compromise because compromise always gives you greater influence. The most important thing you can follow is the mind of God for your life. Let nothing else influence His will for your life.