Be Careful Who You Listen To

What are the people in your life telling you? Are they increasing your self-doubt or strengthening your faith? Just because people tell you something doesn’t make it so. In 1492 many of the people Columbus tried to interest in his venture thought the earth was flat. And even those who believed it was round thought his idea of a short-cut to the Indies was far-fetched. The ‘experts’ examined his travel plans and said they were impossible. But Columbus didn’t fall off the edge of the earth as the doomsayers predicted—instead, he discovered America!

Along the same lines, Alexander Graham Bell tried to interest the communications company Western Union in his invention, the telephone. But they regarded it as having too many limitations and being little more than a toy. Even after John Logie Baird had demonstrated the capabilities of the first television set, a leading radio pioneer said it was ‘a development of which we need waste little time dreaming.’

There will always be naysayers, so don’t let someone else’s limited thinking squash you and restrict your thinking. Negativity is contagious; you have to be careful if you don’t want to catch it! Even if you’re the only positive person in your family, maintain an optimistic outlook in every situation. What we call ‘common knowledge’ often is commonly wrong!

‘The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.’ (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV) Have the people who are telling you ‘it can’t be done’ factored God into the equation? If not, pay no attention. Instead of listening to people who increase your doubts, listen to the people to whom God has given wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.