Why would you give up all your comforts for that?
This is very irresponsible of you, Brooke.
So you're going to tell people about God, huh? Well, you know, some people won't like that.
They cut peoples' heads off in countries like that for believing in Jesus Christ!
You'll get behind on life. You just started a business..it isn't wise to just up and leave.
Your relationships here will suffer if you leave.
Why go help people in other countries when people need help in your homeland?
What happens to the money I donate if you don't raise enough? Do I get my money back? If not, I'm not supporting this.
Why would you go serve a God that doesn't exist? If He was real, why would He let bad things happen?
We only give money to missions in the USA…not other countries who don't deserve it…in fact, we'll just keep our money!
Your first deadline is coming up..you're pretty far off. Maybe this isn't what you should be doing right now.
$16,285.00 could be put to much better use helping people here than to just fund you for a trip.
Those are just a few of the discouraging things people have been saying to me lately.
As I pondered and prayed on the things people were saying, and shared them with my friends, God used many different methods to encourage me and speak truth into the situation.
He reminded me of a scripture I find myself going back to again and again:
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
~Galatians 1:10
One of my close friends responded with such an encouraging truth:
"If God is calling you to this, this is the place you need to be. We are not all called to stay home. That person is not looking at this from a godly perspective. Remember that if you are facing this much opposition from an ungodly stand point you must be doing something right. God won't try to discourage you. He opens and shuts doors but this is not from Him. Stand firm."
Some of my squad mates encouraged me to take a look at the book of Acts, and some of the encounters Paul had. Someone shared:
"Paul could have helped a lot of people in Tarsus and Damascus, but instead he was called to be a missionary across Asia minor and the world, much like you. In the way his obedience changed the world, yours will too."
For every discouraging word someone said, God encouraged me even more. He spoke to my spirit and said "Trust", "Do not doubt Me, daughter", and "Shift your focus to Me, not the things of this world".
As discouraging as those words listed above have the potential to be, I know that if I am in the will of God, there isn't a thing on the planet that can stop me.
So..my opinion on doubt, discouragement, and all of the opposition listed above?
Ain't nobody got time for that!!
Boom!
