There’s this really encouraging bible verse that I love and try to live by:
“whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” – Philippians 4:8
I TRY so hard to DWELL on the beautiful things in my life. But…OH MY GOODNESS can I DWELL on some things that upset me. I like to over-analyze, OK? UGH. It’s a problem.
When I first signed up for World Race I had a member of my extended family lay in to me about how she doesn’t believe in or support this trip. Then, as I have shared before, a few people I serve with in the military openly express how they do not personally support me in this. Then the other day at work, a man I hardly know decided to ask me very condescendingly about my lack of “practical skills” (I guess 7 years of military training won’t be helpful?), and why don’t I focus on my education instead of “wasting” my time with overseas missions.
I LOST IT. (My way of loosing it was actually just telling him that this trip takes a lot of courage to leave everything I know behind and I would only like to surround myself with positive and encouraging opinions right now).
But I did loose it in the department of positve thinking.
I dwelled and dwelled and dwelled on all of the negative things that those very few people had said to me…and failed to realize the literally countless people who are so incredibly supportive and DO believe in me! (I’m sorry!)
I think the thing that discouraged me the most about the unsupportive people’s opinions is the realization that they don’t believe in the power of the gospel…and that made me feel like I am not doing a very good job at being a light and sharing Jesus with those around me. If they don’t see something different about me and they don’t see that I have Jesus in me…then I suck at being a Christian, right?
THANK GOD THIS IS NOT THE CASE!
As I was on my run today I realized something that changed my opinion of myself and helped me so much with this struggle of wanting EVERYONE’S support.
THE WORLD DID NOT SEE JESUS IN JESUS!
That’s why they killed him. That’s why the “crowd” was so wishy-washy towards him. He was loved one minute, and the next minute he was being arrested. He was criticized and critiqued every step of the way. He never once had everyone’s approval…and he didn’t try to gain it. Jesus was consitent. He faced 40 days of temptation in the desert. His life was not easy but he never failed. He went alone to pray to the father for strength.
Today we have access to this strength and this consistency. We WILL fail at times, that’s part of being human. The important thing is that we always find our way back to God’s will and realize that there will always be skeptical people trying to speak in to our lives. Don’t let them.
I’m still working on this but God’s opinion has to become greater than the “crowd”
and then you have to turn around and have love, compassion, and patience with the crowd that doesn’t support you…
I’m still working on that too. 🙂
