Don’t Let the World Dirty Your Water

Friends,

After a tough week, I had a thought Saturday morning that I haven’t been able to shake.

It is hard to stay soft-hearted in a hard-hearted world.

I wish I could dress that up a little more, but I can’t.

You can genuinely try to love people, serve people, encourage people, lead well, give generously, and add value wherever you go... and people will still disappoint you.

Some will be rude. Some selfish. Some ungrateful. Some will take far more than they ever consider giving back.

And if I’m being completely open with you, I struggle with that.

There are moments when I feel myself becoming more skeptical. More guarded. A lot more cynical.

Maybe you’ve felt it too.

Here’s what hit me:

The greatest danger isn’t simply that somebody disappoints us.

It’s allowing their behavior to change our heart.

We live in the world, but we are not called to become like it.

Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Proverbs 16:3 reminds us to commit our work to the Lord.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:7 to ask, seek, and knock.

Maybe there’s a reason Scripture keeps bringing us back to Him again and again.

Because we need it.

Every. Single. Day.

Sometimes, multiple times before lunch.

Protect the Water

Think of your heart and mind like a glass of clean water.

Every rude encounter, betrayal, disappointment, nasty comment, selfish act, or broken expectation tries to drop something into that water.

Bitterness.

Resentment.

Distrust.

Anger.

Before long, if we’re not careful, what somebody else did has changed what we’re carrying around inside us.

And I don’t want that for you.

I don’t want it for me either.

There are still good people in this world. Compassionate people. Generous people. People who stop, listen, pray, help, encourage, and give without asking what they’ll receive in return.

Spend time with those people.

Be one of those people.

And above everything else, spend time with the One who can clean the water again.

Come Back Every Day

So maybe today isn’t about trying harder to tolerate the world.

Maybe it’s simply about coming back to God.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Let Him renew your mind. Protect your heart. Restore your hope. Remind you who you are.

Then go back out there and keep being the light.

Because the world doesn’t need another cynical person.

It needs you to stay good.

This is me talking to me, but I hope it's encourages you too. 

Keep shining the GOOD Stuff.

Your friend,
Brock

P.S. And if you know somebody who could use a little goodness right now, don’t overthink it. Send the good stuff. Fall is getting closer, and a box of melt-in-your-mouth Dulci chocolate has a pretty remarkable way of saying, “I was thinking about you.” Goodness Created to be Shared.