HAS THE CROWD THAT SURROUNDS YOU PULLED YOU OFF TRACK?
Do you have people in your life that you trust more than yourself? I have a group of people (Danny Silk, Bill Johnson, and Dann Farrelly to name a few) who have given me feedback over the years and proactively pointed out things to me; things about myself that I couldn’t see clearly. Without this wise counsel, I would not be the man that I am today. Is it painful to get feedback? Oh, you bet it is! However, it’s imperative to learn how to receive it if we want to grow up
into the men and women God is calling us to be!
The truth is, sometimes we are pulled off the track of our destiny by the weight of the surrounding crowd, often without even realizing it.
When someone is living in righteousness but surrounded by a crowd living in unrighteousness, they become like the very needle that is poking at the unrighteous crowds
’ problems and irritating their level of content with impurity. This is where the tension lies for someone living in righteousness as they weigh the benefits of being a “trophy” of the righteous or a “target” of the unrighteous.
The influence of the unrighteous crowd is like a magnet: when you are close, it feels strong and forceful, creating a synergetic pull to its center. However, there is a spot you reach where you are close enough that the magnet is in sight but far enough away it loses its magnetic pull. What I am getting at is that the crowd’s strength that pulls you off track is deceiving. When you stand close, it feels powerful, but when you step away, its influence shatters. It can not withstand the manifest power of God on display through the royal righteousness of His sons and daughters. The ground that the crowd stands on shakes, and the synergetic pull shatters.
In this week’s video blog, I talk more about the importance of living in righteousness.
In a nutshell:
- Who are you surrounding yourself with?
- Isaiah 6
- When you see God the way He is, you often see yourself as you are.
- 1 John
- When we are not connected to the greatness and holiness of God we only become connected to humanity.
- Relative righteousness is when we live our lives at the level of the others around us.
- When you rise above impure thinking, you become a trophy and a target.
- Courageous people can’t live in a crowd, because they live in righteousness that is outside the lines of an unrighteous crowd.
- We don’t just need people that will agree with us, we need people who will tell us the truth.
- You need people in your life that will chase you back into good deeds.
- Success is such a dangerous place for us to live, pride can make you believe you know more than anyone else.
HOW TO GET BACK ON THE TRACKS OF YOUR DESTINY
Have you ever been corrected or put back on “track” by a friend? I sure have! Remember how I said it has hurt a few times? Initially, it stings like a slap across the face—unexpected and shocking, but that soon fades when you realize it has saved you from the pit of pride and the slippery slope of self-righteousness. Tough love from a trusted friend is like an awakening that guides you back to the tracks of your destiny and catapults you into the royal refinement available through the redeeming power of God.
I’d propose receiving the correction of a wise friend grants you the opportunity to rid yourself of bitterness, close doors to demonic spirits, and eradicate arrogance in your life. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow when you receive a correcting word; rather, look past the sting and jump over the hurdle of offense to receive the treasure of counsel from a wise friend. I hope to inspire you to lean into the process of refinement, pursue the character of a noble child of God, and seek your divine destiny.
I want to encourage you to start small this week by taking an inventory of your friends. Ask yourself if you have surrounded yourself with wise people and if you are able to receive correction.
