Like many humans in today’s culture, Christian people can easily fall prey to the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and opinions must be expressed as soon as they come to us. Our world idolizes personal opinion, and if social media is any indication, Christians are just as idolatrous as the rest of humanity. We love our hot takes and the prideful ways that we point out the speck in another’s eye.
But social media is only one part of the equation. Actually, this mode of communicating often becomes a part of daily interactions with real life people, because why wouldn’t it? When we allow our hearts to idolize our own opinions, it’s not like we can magically turn that desire off when we lower our phones and go to survey the world around us. We double down on that sense that our opinions need to be heard and acted upon, and the result is that we become discouraging people to be around.
The heart of a Christian is meant to be a place of goodness, patience, gentleness, self-control. We’re called to bear with one another, but that doesn’t just mean that we bear with the discouragers. It means that we aren’t supposed to be the discouragers.
It’s easy to become one. Negativity is contagious, and one discourager is likely to create two or three more just through casual conversations. I doubt many of us set out to demoralize others when we wake up in the morning, but it’s very likely to happen unless we are cultivating the fruits of the spirit within ourselves. We can’t be lights in the world if we are too busy being wet noodles, and that’s exactly why we have to seek the Lord daily and ask Him to help us be encouragers. We should pray for opportunities to be uplifting, to be joyful and kind and open-hearted, and then when He gives us those opportunities, we should humble ourselves and live like Jesus. One moment at a time. One sweet word at a time. One well-timed warm, edifying comment at a time.
I just don’t believe that Jesus intended for us to travel through this world pointing out every little thing that happens that we don’t like. He said we are here to put a spotlight on Him, not on our own feelings and opinions. If Christians insist on being the discouragers, then who will hold up the despairing? Who will see needs and meet them? Who will love more than they condemn? Who will make disciples?
Discouragement and negativity are poison to the soul. Let’s run to the Light and show the world what real love looks like, bearing with one another with so much gentleness and grace. Every uplifting word we speak will pull us up, too, out of the mire of negativity and into the beauty of that abundant life that Jesus talked about. The world needs the Light of Jesus, not our glorified opinions.
