It gets everywhere

Good morning! I hope you were able to recharge your batteries this weekend.

Friday evening, I accompanied our youth group to the beach for their monthly First Friday get together. I love going to the beach and being around the water. While the teenagers played football and swam, I went fishing in the surf.

When it was time to head home, I tried to clean the sand off of my feet. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to get all of the sand off, and so the floorboard of my truck now looks like a miniature beach.

It is along these lines that I want to challenge you with today’s encouragement.

Galatians 5:9 (NLT)

But it takes only one wrong person among you to infect all the others—a little yeast spreads quickly through the whole batch of dough!

Today I want you to consider the influences in your life. Have you ever noticed how quickly a negative person can affect an entire group of people? A little gossip becomes an ever increasing murmur and then a divisive roar.

When we allow negative influences into our lives it is nearly impossible not to be affected in some way. Just like the sand of the beach, some of the negativity is going to stick to you.

Fortunately we have a choice. We can choose those things that we allow ourselves to be exposed to. Let me explain this further. If I didn’t want sand in my truck I simply needed to avoid the beach. The same rule applies to life. I don’t have to become a part of the gossip sessions. I don’t have to allow those who are always negative to become my closest confidants. I have a choice…to stay or walk away.

This week you will be faced with choices. Will you allow yourselves to remain in situations in which negativity attaches itself to you, or will you remove yourself from those influences? Fortunately, the reverse thought is also true. Placing yourself in a positive, nurturing environment will rub off as well. The choice is yours.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

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