Lift Up or Small Down…It’s Your Choice
By:: angie c tipton
actnow ministries
4.24.2012
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” Mark 6:4
I have to tell you, I have come to embrace this scripture! When the Lord first brought it to me, I DID NOT want to apply it to my life…mainly because this is Jesus speaking about himself in His situation while He was in ministry mode here on earth. Really, I thought, who am I? But, God kept bringing it back to me. Finally, I caved and realized that there’s comfort in these words…especially for someone with God given dreams and desires that have not come to fruition yet. Just because we are familiar with someone, doesn’t mean that we know what they can or cannot do in their life. Don’t let familiarity cause you to judge a person wrongly…just don’t allow yourself to fall into that trap!
I learned, going on 15 years ago, that it’s not my place to judge or decide who can do what in the body of Christ. I found that I was in a position to help a single mom and her 14 year old daughter. The mom had fast growing cataracts on her eyes and was rendered legally blind within a few short months. When God crossed our paths, she had already lost her job and was living on $350/month. Her rent was $300/month. I’ll leave the math to you! Needless to say, they were barely making it. Long story short, God provided a way for her to have the cataracts removed free of charge, she moved out of the slum that they had landed in, and she ended up with a job at the local Wal~Mart in which she still works to this day. What a lesson for me in taking care of someone who had literally next to nothing. I’m not sure who benefitted most…me or her. Either way, God was glorified through it all!
In the process of all of this, I got to know this lady pretty well and oh, how she loves the Lord. One day she said to me that it was her hearts desire to head up a soup kitchen for the homeless. Now, when she said this, I had two different choices…lift her up…or small her down. I chose to lift her up. In that moment of milliseconds, the Lord impressed upon me that it wasn’t my job to tell her that she could or she could not ever head up a soup kitchen, just because of the situation she was in at that moment.
I have to tell you, I have had more people, well meaning people, small me down and not lift me up. In all honesty, this used to upset me. Also, I was/am always SO surprised at who this negativity comes from. I’m sure it’s not ever done out of spite or jealously, I’m not saying that at all. I just believe that people don’t want me to get hurt because THEY don’t believe in the dreams and desires of my heart. You know, it took me a long time to be able to say this, but…it’s all good! I believe that God is in control of everything and if He didn’t want me to hear those words, He would have protected me from them. However, on the other hand, He wanted me to learn from them. He wanted me to look to NO other than Himself for affirmation. You see, what is it really going to matter what “SoAndSo” says or thinks when my dream comes to fruition? Funny thing is, it still won’t matter what they have to say after it happens, because all that matters is what God says or thinks about me.
Now, I say all of this for a reason. I believe that there are a lot of people out there who have dreams and desires in their hearts, but aren’t going after them because of negative words that have been spoken over them when they were brave enough to speak them out loud. I say “GO FOR IT!!” God puts these things in our hearts for a reason!! He created each of us uniquely. Maybe your dream is to start a new business, run a marathon or maybe it’s to build a new home or go back to college…it doesn’t really matter what it is. If it’s your dream, that’s all that matters. God created us to keep moving or reaching forward in Him, not to be complacent. If you allow yourself to get complacent, life will get boring and stagnate. Don’t allow that to happen in your life. GO FOR IT! And, when you do, don’t allow anyone to small you down. Even if you do hear negative words spoken over you, just remember that as long as you put God first, don’t give up and continue on until you reach that goal, God WILL bring your dreams to fruition!
Now, on the other hand…don’t be the “someone” who smalls people down. We, as Christians, need to be encouraging each other…not “smalling each other down.” And, it’s not just Christians who we should have this attitude toward. We should be encouraging to EVERYONE around us…EVERYONE! Who are we to judge who can or cannot do something?
You know, I sometimes think that we get so used to life around us that we forget JUST who the God of this universe is! Look at all that He has created! Scientists have discovered that they were wrong about the expansion of the universe slowing down. They have actually discovered that it is continuing to expand. What a beautiful example for us to continue reaching and growing throughout our lives!
Of course, we ARE human and unfortunately, negativity is default mode for us. That’s why we have to purposefully make an effort to lift others up…we’re just not wired that way naturally…at least most of us! Choose to lift others up in their dreams and desires, don’t small them down. Just think of the difference you can make in someone else’s life by simply being positive and encouraging them! It’s easy to encourage someone and I have found that it’s infectious! As Christians, we are here to serve, not to be served! I challenge you to make a difference in someone else’s life! The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
All these years later, I still see this lady at Wal~Mart and without fail, I always think of her dream of running a soup kitchen. It hasn’t happened for her yet, but I am still believing in it for her and I look forward to that day when it comes to fruition for her!
Remember…”Lift Up or Small Down…It’s Your Choice!”
