Have You Thought About It?

***UPDATE*** 8-21-07
This post came from something I have been dealing with and praying about that Satan tends to bring up when I'm feeling really good about my life and the changes I want to make. I thought if I posted it and prayed about it that it would go away.

This post isn't about any one person because I tend to let what people say to me or how they act toward me influence my decisions(which is wrong of ME)...Even people in my own home and family discourage me, but they don't realize it I am sure. Like I said, even I have said or done something that discouraged someone else.

If we all acted like God wanted us to, we would quit trying to be popular, quit acting like we are better than others, and start encouraging and supporting all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and even lost people too, especially lost people.

Have you ever thought about how the way you act can impact someone else's life by discouraging them? In church, at home, wherever... how something you say or do can prevent someone else from doing something they thought about doing for someone else, or for Christ because you have discouraged them.

For instance, let's say you want to be more involved at your church, but there are a few people that don't think your qualified, or give you funny looks or say something sarcastic when you talk about it. Maybe they let power go to their heads and act like they are above you, that you work for them.

Maybe you want to be good friends with someone, but they act like they don't like you. They don't want to be around you, and it's noticeable.

You want to sing in the choir but someone laughed at you because they think you can't sing. Maybe you want to sing a solo but someone said something that changed your mind.

Maybe you thought of a great way to help people who desperately need it, and then were told no, not by words, but by someone ignoring the situation.

Maybe you have great ideas about things and want to share, but no one takes you seriously, so you chicken out.

None of us should care what others think about us, especially in times when we feel we are showing the love of Christ, or that God led us to do something. But, too many times I think someone else discourages us from doing something we feel strongly about with their words, their actions, and things they say.

I know this has happened to me many times, matter of fact it does all the time. Not necessarily the things listed, but from other things, by people who I can tell don't like me for what ever reason. I try so hard to be nice to them, try to befriend them, but I guess I'm not good enough for them, or whatever the case may be. They pretend to be my friend, or will be nice to my face, I'd rather them be ugly to me, rude to me, or ignore me then to pretend. Regardless, I let them discourage me from doing things that I know God has called me to do a couple of times. Something I shouldn't do, but I do.

I'm sure I have also said or done something that discouraged someone else. I pray I won't ever do it again! It doesn't feel very good.