I was listening to one of my favorite preachers the other day when he uncharacteristically went off on a rant about another pastor. This “other” pastor’s identity wasn’t very cryptically kept. In fact, you’d have to have been living the last decade under the proverbial rock to not have figured it out in less time then it takes to ride a bull named Foo Manchu! And that’s what really disappointed me. Add to this the fact that they have been friends for years and I just felt a pit in my stomach.
This kind of thing is NOT okay. The world thinks it’s okay—in fact, they live by it. There are second nature rules of deception and backstabbing that seem to come so easy to those without Christ just as there are rules of right and wrong written on the heart of all human beings by God Himself. It’s just a matter of deciding which philosophy you want to be known for.
This reminded me about a blog I wrote many years ago (yes, I’ve been doing this for a long time) and I thought I’d pull it out of the archives and run it again today as a reminder to us all that…
- Not only is the world watching our every move
- People listen to our every word
- A life of negativity can pull you and all those around you down
Saddest part?
I got the idea for this post from a preacher that I used to criticize (ouch). Then God convicted me that my job isn’t to set other pastors straight—it’s to carry out the mission He’s given me to His glory and honor.
Period.
So, without further delay…
Which are you?
I don’t get to watch much religious TV (I’m just lucky that way). But I’m not preaching this weekend and already attended the Saturday evening service. So I find myself at home on Sunday morning watching some of the well known TV preachers. One of them said something that really got me thinking.
Joel Olsteen (did you just think a critical thought there?…careful) was talking about soaring with eagles verses hanging out in the lowlands with critical crows. He only touched on this for a few moments (or maybe longer, I had a blog entry to write and already had the makings of a new post in mind) but what he said really struck a nerve.
Eagles are majestic creatures are they not? Who wouldn’t rather have the nickname, ‘eagle’ than, ‘crow?’
What do crows do?
They seek out tragedy and misfortune (road kill and such) and live to capitalize on it. Then they congregate (usually on a wire or a nearby tree) and await the demise of some other, unfortunate creature so that they can cannibalize the poor stiff’s corpse! You can almost imagine them yakking away when they’re lined up together on a power line or something…
Yep, poor old Sammy the squirrel just wouldn’t part with his acorns. Ten percent is all we asked, but Noooo, he said they were his and he would never pay protection money to a bunch of conniving crows! So, there he lies. What an unfortunate accident, seems he was jumped by a flock of ravens on his way home from foraging.
Tisk, tisk.
And then the feast begins as the critical crows finish tearing apart whatever’s left of the poor, innocent squirrel.They’re scavengers.They profit off the misfortune of others.Some people are like that as well — always criticizing, ever pessimistic, never offering solutions, just constant scenarios of, “Everything that will go wrong if we do it that way.”
Eagles are different.
They don’t even mess with road kill — they create it! They are hunters who make their own way.
I’ve heard eagles have been spotted as high as 31,000 feet! That’s up there with the big boys! I’m talking jets!And eagles not only rise above it all, they LIVE ABOVE IT ALL. Eagles build their massive nests in the highest trees they can find and that way can see for miles around. That way they keep their enemies in sight. But the truth is, they don’t have that many enemies. Who wants to mess with an eagle in his territory?
And for the pesky, annoying crows who might be foolish enough to gang up on an eagle — what is the result? — a massive showdown at the 31,000 foot OK Corral in the sky? Not hardly. Crows can’t get that high — not even close — not even half way! So, the eagle simply rises above the nit picking, nay saying and criticizing of the crows collecting together in mass far, far below in order to bring the eagle down. But the eagle continues soaring higher until, one by one the crows drop off. And drop off they do!
Why?
Because they can’t stand alone, can’t soar, can’t rise above...can’t do much of anything except CROW!
Do you have critical crows in your life or do you surround yourself with soaring eagles?
By the way, I’m not talking about removing criticism from your life. If you surround yourself with eagles it’s not the same as surrounding yourself with ‘Yes’ men. Eagles are not afraid to tell it like it is. They will confront, exhort, encourage, lead, and uplift — all to help make you a better person. They are the iron sharpening iron that the Bible talks about in Ecclesiastes.
Everyone needs eagles in their life.
Eagles help you soar.
No one needs crows in their life.
Which one are you?