It's All In The Name

Names don't mean a whole lot in today's society.  Facebook allows us to change them.  You can pay to have it altered.  To find a parent that names their child based on the name's meaning would be the exception.  In fact, it's hard to tell who is related anymore because of this "insignificant name" society.  Why would Henry John Deutschendorf change his name to John Denver?  Is Ice Cube a person or a thing?  Who picked the name Tuesday Weld?  Was she born on that day?  I mean seriously,  "what's in a name?"

In Genesis 25 we find an account detailing the birth of twin brothers, Jacob and Esau.  The first was named solely after his physical appearance,  Esau.  If he were alive today, we would translate his name "hairy"  or probably "Harry" just for his sake.  The second twin grabbed hold of the first's heel, and would be called Jacob, meaning supplanter.  This deceitful connotation would foreshadow Jacob's future as a master manipulator.  Imagine growing up knowing your name pretty much implied "liar."  You can see how that would shape the personality and character of a child.  Studies show that the words spoken into the life of a child will develop and shape his mind and personality.

Esau was a hunter by trade,  and hard work yielded a great appetite.  Jacob, more of a momma's boy had prepared some pottage that must have smelled delicious to starving Esau.  Because he despised his birthright, he traded his future for a bowl of soup to Jacob...the supplanter. Fast-forward many years as Jacob's father Isaac (Israel) lies on his death bed.  As tradition would have it,  the first born would be blessed and receive his birthright.  Isaac requested his eldest hunt and prepare his signature dish before the ceremony would begin.  While out,  Jacob girds himself with hairy goatskin to feel and smell like Esau to his dim-eyed father.  His voice would betray him,  so Isaac asks the question that will shape Jacob's life:  What is you name?

As the scripture tells, Jacob lied (go figure)  and claimed his name to be Esau.  The events to follow would drive him from his home in fear. God has a way of "working all things together for good"  and begins to fulfill his promise to Jacob while serving his uncle Laban.  God instructs Jacob back to his hometown,  and an old fear arises...what about Esau?  Can you picture it?  Jacob alone seeing that figure approaching...was it Esau?  A stranger?  He raises his staff in defense as the wrestling match that would last till morning commences.  Jacob's thigh is injured,  but he still holds on.  "I won't let go until you bless me!"

When Jacob encounters deity,  he is asked in Genesis 32:27 "what is your name?"  Funny.  That's not the first time he's been asked this question, but it's also not the first time Jacob has asked for a blessing.  But now the hardships of life and some maturity have allowed Jacob to own his flawed identity.  Here he replies, "Jacob." Supplanter. Deceiver. Manipulator.  Upon this confession, God changes Jacob's name to Israel "God prevails."  He who once relied upon his own ability to supplant, may now rest in the prevailing power of God, with whom he is prince.

1.  Not every opponent is your adversary.  
We give Satan way more credit than he is due.  There will be times along your journey when God, himself will stand before your road of blessing.  The one who promised "no good thing will he withhold" wants to see just how much faith you actually have in the Promise Keeper.  A spiritual wrestling match may not be someone trying to steal your blessing; it could be God trying to prove your belief.  Don't let go!

2. A wrestle with God will forever affect your walk. 
Sorry Staples, but not every problem has a "That Was Easy" button.  The reason many Christians will never receive what God has for them is because they are not willing to wrestle through then night for it.  Right when the fight gets hard, we spiritualize a loss by saying "I guess God doesn't want me to have this."  It's more likely God wants to know if you're desperate enough to cling tightly to him.  When you do,  you'll find the morning breaking, the night dissipating, and your walk forever changed.  This battle scar won't allow your victory to be forgotten.  The wound that you can showcase as a trophy of God's grace.  The permanent weakness where your faith must fall on the God who prevails.

3.  The I Am must change who you think you are. 
Remember back when Jacob pretended to be someone else in order to come out on top?  How did that work out for him?  We find insecurities, fears, and doubt at war within us, fighting who God has created us to be.  We live a lie, deceiving all around us for a time, but the truth always comes out.  Face to face with Jesus, we are forced to admit who we really are.  But blessings are not contingent upon who I have become, but upon who He is.  Recognition of my wretchedness allows God to rename me and remake me. The I Am can make me into more than I could ever pretend to be.  Jacob stepped into the battle believing his greatest need was to escape those he had deceived.  He left the battle realizing his great need for faith in the promises of God.  Fear of man shifts to fear of God.

7 Things Your Pastor's Kid Needs From You

1. People Not Parents 

 People function simultaneously as one of the greatest advantages and disadvantages to the ministry. Without them, there is no ministry. With them, there will always be problems. Growing up in a ministry home provides for connecting with new people, and lots of them, almost weekly. Often because of their parent’s vocation, PK’s are held to a higher standard. People expect them to perform at a certain level, not even expected of their own children. And when the Pastor’s kid slips, there is always a committee waiting to let them know. Dear church member, your PK has a set of parents who do not need your help. Your PK needs to know that you are a person just like anyone else, and not their parent.

 2. Investment Not Interrogation 

 While there are some pastors who excel at balancing church and home life, many struggle with discipling their own kids while discipling all the other church leaders. What if you decided to invest a little time into your pastor’s kid just for their benefit and personal growth? The PK will be leery at first, because the typical church member only gives when they expect something in return. If the only time you talk to your pastor’s kid is when you want information, or you want to fast track something to the pastor’s ear, it’s better you not talk to them at all.

 3. Flexibility To Function 

 You know how your kids sometimes miss that youth group activity because of a sports game, or other exciting opportunity? Yeah, your Pastor’s kid would like to be afforded that same flexibility. While PK’s do love the ministry, they would like to have friends and fun outside of church too. Yes, even PK’s can have hobbies.

 4. Security In What You Say

 For most people, after they clock out at 5pm, they wouldn’t dare answer a phone call for a work related issue. But those same people expect the pastor to pick up at 9pm while he is enjoying a movie and time with his family. I remember at 12 years old being almost to the resort where we would vacation and getting the “my wife is in the hospital call” where we then turned around to head back home. Unfortunately, living on call is a vocational hazard for pastors. They cannot always live up to what they promise their kids. If not carefully handled, PK’s can become cynical creatures who analyze promises. So if you throw a guarantee the way of your pastor’s kids, don’t take it lightly. They don’t.

 5. Your Attention and Intrigue 

PK”s become experts at the 10AM handshaking small talk game. They expect that people will ask shallow questions and return shallow answers. Then, when dad gets home from a day filled with counseling, he’s probably used his words up and isn’t looking to talk a whole lot more. So if your pastor’s kid happens to be sharing something with you, pause and give them your undivided attention. To them this information is important, and you are the first friend they’ve found to share it with.

 6. Consistency, Not Double Standards 

 We have touched on this slightly; and while the name says it all, it is good that we expound here. The life of a PK is that of a fishbowl. There are people in your church who believe it is their job to legislate righteousness into the life of your pastor’s family. Don’t believe me? Ask. - If what your pastor preaches is good enough for his kids, it is good enough for yours. And if you aren’t going to expect a certain level of responsibility from your children (or yourself) don’t expect it from them either.

 7. Freedom to Fail 

 PK’s are human, and therefore prone to sin. I know that preacher’s families are supposed to always smile, act right, read their Bible recreationally for hours each day, and always speak in church words. But since that would require an insane amount of hypocrisy, just give your PK some freedom to fail. When they fall, help them back up without a lecture. This freedom will enable them to live openly around you, and ultimately minister more effectively.

ATTENTION ALL PREACHER'S KIDS!

I am a member of one of the world's most elite groups.  While highly skilled, informed, and cultured, we are also one of the most burdened, insecure, and tormented group of people.  I did not choose this life for myself,  I was born into it.  Even when I wish I could go undercover,  even my speech betrays who I am.  My world is a fishbowl, and my private life on display.  My familial relationships are complicated due to the multiplicity of their offices.  Persecution has sharpened a skillful, skeptical observant eye. I Am a Preacher's Kid.

Growing up a PK certainly had its privileges.  Though we joke about the tortures of day-in-day-out ministry,  it molded who we are and prepared us for things other people certainly couldn't handle.  If you've been to more weddings and funerals in a year than most people go to in a lifetime, you might be a PK.  If you can sum up a person's life and integrity by a two minute conversation with them...you might be a PK.  But all jokes aside,  it's a tough life with its own unique challenges.

 My heart breaks as I read tweets and texts from fellow PK's who will probably never enter the ministry because of what they have been through.  The church has allowed their pastor's family to become embittered and stressed, where that this girl could say, "I'm tired of it."

Everyone deserves a pastor and confidant.  If you're a lay person,  you have that leader you can unload the secrets of your life on.  But, the pastor's kid can't always discuss those inner struggles with their parents.  Even those who have that tightly knit relationship feel bad unloading their personal problems on their burdened parents who are carrying the church member's problems home.  

 Truth,  at times those pastor's kids can be a burden. But statements like that of Landon Schott are sending our pastors kids to hell every single day.  Have we ever stopped to ask WHY the Pastor's kid acts the way he does?  Maybe if we loved on them a little bit,  and treated them with some respect God could get ahold of their heart.  Shame on us for publicly ridiculing the children of God's man.  Often, people feel that due to the public nature of the pastor's office that his and his children's personal life is up for discussion.  Guess what,  it's not.  And it's time someone stepped up to stop men like this,  and defend those ministry kids who go through more than most could ever imagine. 

To @YS_Scoop, I would like to say, "No matter how annoying the pastors kid is, always remember that the weight of your church is carried on their shoulders.  When they act out,  take some time to love on them and pray for them.  You don't know what they are going through." 

THE 2015 PK/MK RETREAT

www.preacherskidretreat.com

Launch Lessons

I was about 16 the first summer I worked at camp.  That might read like an ordinary sentence,  but those are the words that changed the course of my life and personality.  The first 15 years of my life were a pretty hectic rollercoaster that really robbed me of a childhood.  This isn't a sob story about my life,  it's just that I flipped a switch at 8 years old that took me from "little kid"  to "adult" overnight.  The types of things that I would live through would create a cynical, insecure, therefore arrogant individual.  So,  put a "kidult" like that in a group of regular teenagers and one crazed camp director for 7 weeks, and something is going to explode.

I remember it like yesterday.  We left one Saturady for the annual pontoon boat trip on Lake Cumberland.  Everyone else seemed to be enjoying the water,  but that was so childish....I mean, swimming in a lake?  Isn't swimming only for filtered pools?  To make matters worse, we came upon an abandoned railroad tunnel that everyone climbed to jump off into the water.  I wasn't about to do that,  until I watched Stephen dunk Isaac from my view on the boat.  When that kid's head surfaced,  he raced for the boat, face flushed as he bawled his eyes out.  In that moment I had a decision to make.  Do I look back on today,  10 years from now having written "A Diary of a Wimpy Kid" like Isaac,  or do I launch myself from that railroad tunnel, and leave a hero.  

That decision shaped my summer, and opened my eyes to a whole new world.  Here are some of the things that jump taught me.

1.  A launch always involves a loss.

You can talk about doing something all day long and imagine what victory would be like, or you can actually DO SOMETHING.  Staying inside your box allows you to maintain the pride that exists as a covering for your insecurities.  The box allows you to maintain control of your immediate surroundings. A flop in that water would have been a bit embarassing, but a failure to launch would have lost me the respect of those who had tried.  When you launch,  your confidence grows and chisels away at your insecurities.  Launching will cause your fear to disappear.  Launching means losing the "ignorance is bliss" mindset as you become educated in the structure of a win.  Yes, you are going to lose some things when you launch, but it will be worth all that you gain. 

2.  A launch will land you with leaders.

Sometimes I picture what my summer would have been like had I chose to stay in the boat.  I would have been grouped and labeled in the wimpy bracket.  It's hard to lose a label.  But I conquered me fear of...well...life, and launched from that bridge.  Choosing to "do something" over simply talking about it moved me up in the world.  Even if I had flopped,  at least people knew I had the courage to try.

3. Without a launch, there is no legacy.

"Hey you remember the time we...."  The people I enjoy hanging out with the most are those who love to "do."  We all know the "sit and do nothing" people.  Sure, they can talk a big talk,  but they have no experience to back it up.  Launching is fun, and every launch leaves a legacy.  Truth,  not every launch is a success,  but you learned how not to launch next time.  God never allows success or failure without someone else in mind.  Use your legacy to invest in a fellow launcher.  

It's your choice,  launch or lose.  Go DO something!  

  

Stunt Double Churches

If you have watched one of Jennifer Lopez's action-packed films,  you have seen the individual on the left.  Yes,  that is her hired stunt double.  Often, celebrities in the film industry hire out their extravagant moves to those more agile, and able to perform what they cannot.  Whether it be age, agility, or a contractual agreement,  most stars are not solely responsible for the super-hero image the public retains.  Bone structure, clothing, and hair allows for an identical viewing experience...from a distance.  But upon closer review,  major differences are exposed.

In Acts 8, we find a sorcerer named Simon.  For years he has performed "miracles," enchanting and enslaving the people of his city.  In fact, his performances were so convincing that "from the least to the greatest, they all gave heed saying, this man is the great power of God."  Of course, Simon was aware he was not, in fact God, nor did his power originate fro the Most High. Simon implies that he is "some great one."  Not God; certainly close though. Yet, from a distance, the stunts he pulled looked so similar, they were mistaken as identical. That is, until a man named Philip enters the scene.

Philip's message and miracles were directly from God.  Those once mesmerized by the power of Simon are now following after the actual power of God.  The message brought by Philip was so convincing that even Simon converted to Christianity.  As he saw the apostles laying hands on the converts, and the Holy Ghost moving upon those people, he desired that same power. His tricks did not compare to the real thing,  and if he was to enhance his own image, he would require this supernatural power.

A simple walk through Facebook and your local news outlet will reveal a generation of "Simon's" under the banner of the local church.  Stunt Double Churches.  We watch the body of Christ host extravagant stunts that no doubt attract the media and draw local attention,  but under the surface lack substance.  Facebook and Twitter posts read "CHECK OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING!"  "LOOK AT OUR PASTOR."  "SEE WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED!!"  These churches are not carrying the fire of the Holy Spirit,  they have lit their own torch with strange fire.  Yes,  the miracles look like something Jesus would do,  sound like something Jesus would do,  but upon close inspection, are nothing more than solicitations for increased self image.  How dare we hashtag #GloryToGod in what we have made all about us!

Here are some things to watch for in a stunt double church.

1.  Do not mistake Holy Spirit movement with generated hype.
     The movement of the Holy Spirit is pure, and always draws attention back to himself.  Yes, it's exciting,  but excitement does not equal Holy Spirit.  Go with me to any sports activity.  There you will find the lifting of hands, dancing in the aisles, shouting, singing, and a buzz-filled air that is contagious.  Sure sounds like the makings of a great church service,  but in actuality it is entirely void of God's presence.  Sad that many cannot distinguish between the two.

2.  Stunt Double churches thrive on attention.
     Attention is attention, whether positive or negative.  As long as the church's or pastor's name is trending on twitter or buzzing in the local paper,  the church is "doing something."  Some churches, like "Hillsboro Baptist" enjoy the spotlight pointed at public protest,  while some bask in the accolade of public service.  "Watch this video as our pastor eats 237 goldfish while walking 500 miles in his bare feet. " #GloryToGod  WOW!  Check out war Fox5 said about our church!  #GloryToGod

3.  Stunts always have to be topped.
     The point of a stunt is to exhibit some extreme behavior!  It wouldn't exactly be a stunt if it was "less than" what you did the year before right?!  It has to grow!  It has to get bigger!   When a genuine movement of God takes place,  it is unique and powerful every time.  While the outcome of a Holy Spirit encounter may produce various mathematical figures in terms of salvations or decisions,  a move of God is unequivocal to any number.  It cannot be manufactured, therefore it cannot be improved upon. At what point do stunt double churches draw the line for "enough."

4.  Stunts are personality driven. 
     Stunt double churches are always always personality driven.  If the personality is unable to perform, the stunt loses its luster and following.  A healthy church is driven by a passion for the Word of God, a personal relationship with Jesus, and a devoted love to the organization Christ gave his life for:  the church.  All too often the masses follow a stunt master, who will not surrender his pulpit or prominence for fear of people leaving.  This fear is valid,  for if that pastor surrendered his preaching ministry to another of the staff for any length of time,  his shallow followers would vacate in search of another Simon the sorcerer.

5.  Generated excitement is only temporary.  
Truth:  Watching J.Lo's stunts in some of those movies are pretty incredible; but I didn't chose the movie to see that dude....I came to see J.LO!  This same principle applies to the Christian.  The "radical fundraisers" and "powerful promotions" of the stunt double churches are great,  and seem to be "of God."  But when I find a community of believers where God REALLY shows up, that's what I want to totally buy into.  Yeah,  stunts attract some great media attention,  but how much growth did you get from that?  Oh, that's right....none.  And in two weeks, that story will be out of print and out of mind.  On to the next stunt!

Identity Crisis

Luke chapter 8 sets the stage for a miraculous move of God.  Jesus returns to find a group of people glad to receive him, in fact, they had been waiting for him!  This was going to be a tough crowd to penetrate, as everyone wanted to get a glimpse of this man who was able to do miraculous works.  I imagine even those with simple ailments were excitedly calling out, "HEAL ME!!"  Suddenly a man of prominent position commands the attention of Jesus from his pleading position.  A ruler of the synagogue, Jairus steps forward to pray healing on his 12 year old.  Jesus would now direct his steps toward Jairus's house as one woman, makes her way through the press with one mission:  I've got to touch him.

Each time a name is listed in Scripture, we become expressly aware of their importance and relevance to the account.  Jairus is mentioned,  and many Jesus touched are also listed with the Book's pages,  but this woman's name cannot be found.  She was, as Mark recalls, a certain woman having an issue of blood.  No name, and really no need.  Her plague of 12 years not only diseased her, it defined her. 

Have you ever had a problem so great in length and size that it seemed to swallow up your identity?   This woman has been sick for 12 long years.  When the problem first attacked, we would have found a woman with means to overcome.  Scripture does not specifically identify each of these, but we can assume she had a husband and family to help combat this issue.  She had means by which she could pay doctors.  Her relationships with physicians that touted promises of miraculous healing were many.  But her problem had eliminated each of those.  Lingering problems leach until there is nothing left.

Many times we are incapable of believing God effectively when we have options.  Faith is born when man's ability dies.  Faith is ignited in my limitation.  The greatest lessons are not learned upon receiving the promise,  but by the road of the process. If God always gave us what we wanted, when we wanted it, we would miss the opportunity to learn!

This woman has maintained a disease for 12 laborious years!  I don't know about you,  but after I've had a problem for about a month,  I weary of it!  I begin to talk about it.  I pray at it. But when you start talking more about you problem than you do your promise, you are praising your problem!  Whatever you praise will be magnified in your life.  The more I magnify a problem, the more I minimize the physician to whom no problem can compare.  We never pray about things that are within our capacity to perform.  The bigger my problem becomes, the smaller God gets.  The more I magnify Jesus, the more insignificant my problems become.

This woman lost it all, to realize that Jesus was her ultimate solution.  "She said within herself,"  she purposed, she planned, and she prayed that she might just TOUCH Jesus.  This is what faith looks like.  Faith is more than a mystical hope.  Real faith is tangibly and substantially evidenced through our actions.  In the face of your problem, no matter how long you've had it,  it is time to purpose within your heart to touch the hem of His garment.  To get on your knees until they blister, and call out to the one capable of all things.  Realize that the answer has been delayed that you might be delivered through faithfulness and fervency.  Live a life consumed by your calling, not crippled by your crisis.  Every failure in life is a prayer failure.

#BeMore #DoMore #InvestMore

Three words have filled the air in the GrovesFam Bus over the last few days.  I wish I could take all the credit,  but the past few years of each of our lives have led us to this day, and there is no telling what will come of this new challenge.  A few years back Julie invested in a product called Zija.  This incredible approach to nutrition changed her life.  Fulfilling all the daily requirements of nutrition, it balanced out every single health problem she had.  That's her testimony, and I'll let her share it.

As for me,  the word "skeptic" best described my appreciation for this product.  I am a huge fan of cherry coke and pepsi, and I was going to have to eliminate those from my diet entirely.   The product doesn't taste wonderful, so that was a downside....and it's green.  Who likes to drink green things again?  That's right.... no one.  But I gave it a try anyhow,  and to my surprise,  my heart issues started to balance,  warts and blemishes disappeared,  focus was enhanced, and energy was sufficient.
Yeah, I really want those six pack abs, and that muscular build.  In fact,  I have a lot of goals in life....but what was I doing to reach them?  Our family has taken a healthy challenge,  and we are watching it transform our lives and the lives of many around us.  I'm going to get out of my body what I put into it,  and the old diet just wasn't cutting it.  So, I'm investing myself into a nutritious lifestyle that may not taste like chocolate,  but it makes me feel incredible.  Nutrition is only a step on our path to better living, so we partnered together in a 30 day challenge.

Here is a picture of our daily check off sheet.  Even the little guys are in on it!
As far as I'm concerned, it's never too early to begin character and disciple. 

My personal goals are reflected in the DNA of the challenge, but everyone else is coming along nicely.  Bible, Book, Blog, Bike, & Bench.  (I'm a preacher...I like alliteration.)  For 30 days we will spend time in the Word.  We will each read through a book of our choice,  spending time in it each day.  We will share what God is doing in and through us via the web,  spending time each day perfecting our writing skills.  We will exercise everyday by the method of our choice.  I'm biking about 5 miles a night, and beginning my day with some free weights.  WHY?  Because I want to BE MORE!

My study in the word and in my book of choice this month,  God has enhanced these principles both in the physical and spiritual realm.  If I want to Be More, I'll have to Do More,  which will require me to Invest More.  Each day as I invest myself into my physical and spiritual health,  the easier it is to invest the next day, and the next, and the next.  As investing grows easily,  the amount of the investment increases.  The more I invest,  the more I find myself doing.  And the more I do,  the greater I become.

"You cannot wish for what you will not work."  

When you look yourself in the mirror, stop saying, " I wish I was more fit."  "I wish I had a better relationship with the Lord."  " I wish...."  If you are not investing yourself into the doing process, then you don't really want it.  If your dream is not big enough to get you out of bed in the morning, and keep you up into the night, then it's either not big enough or it's not a dream at all.  Those unwilling to invest will be found wanting.

Better Not Bitter

You'd have to know my dad.  He's just one of those upbeat guys who never seems to get depressed.  His sense of humor is incredible, and with one retarded laugh or silly phrase, he can turn any situation into a positive one.  I have watched him stabbed in the back by family, friends, preachers...and even me.  And while many in his shoes have become embittered to the Lord and Christianity,  I have watched my dad grow stronger.  Your haters can make you better, if you don't let them make you bitter.

The last year of my life has been greatly used by God to help me empathize with but a fraction of my Father's history.  When I would get down and discouraged,  or actively wishing to seek justice and vengeance on God's behalf, my dad always reminded me "You just have to outlive them."  This phrase has no singular meaning,  it applies to near every situation.  Those who live a life of sin, whether they are in ministry or not, age quickly.  Their life becomes so self-centric that they quickly lose friends, and the thing they hold most dear...control.  In many cases,  God introduces tragedy into the life of an attacker to shift their perspective to one of a helpless nature, desperately pleading for God's mercy and grace.  I've watched this happen time and time again, from financial crisis to physical extremes like strokes.  Nowadays, I find myself on my knees pleading the same grace and mercy God has given me over my attackers,  interceding on behalf of their lives and the lives of their families.

It's not always easy...and people are people.  Today God gave a gentle reminder in the morning hours as to why "evil" can befall the life of one seeking righteousness.  Before you get bitter,  allow God to transform your perspective of tests.  In the heat of the battle,  here is why we stay faithful: 

1. You've got to let people be people.

This simplistic, elementary phrase goes deep when I remember that I'm a "people" too. Ministry would be great if it weren't for people...but  I make the same mistakes.  I struggle with the same sins.  My flesh is just as fleshly as my greatest enemy.  But for the grace of God,  I would be in their exact shoes.  People are people, and we all have a past.  Acts 10:34 reminds us that God is no respecter of persons.  We have all sinned and daily fall short of God's matchless glory.  God's grace is just as accessible to my hater as it is to me when I sin.

2.  God will not remove what He will not replace.

We get attached too easily to people, places, and plenty.  Relationships become priority over a walk with God, developing a lifestyle of idolatry.  When those things disappear, we find ourselves in a helpless state.  What will I do without that person?  How will I continue on without that thing?  Can I even live apart from this place?  GOOD NEWS:  God has a habit of taking away the mediocre and replacing it with excellence.  Sure,  the removal process is painful,  but the end result is beyond worth  it.  Of  Thank God not only for what He gives, but for what he takes; for often the "good" is only realized when faced with the "great." 

3.  The calling of God surpasses the criticism of man.

Let's face it.  We are not perfect,  and at times our attackers are provoked by mistakes of our own cause.  That does not make them right,  it makes them human.  Sometimes people don't understand our calling.  People will always question what they cannot conceive.  That's why God gave YOU that calling and not them.  When I examine the life of Joseph, I find that dreams can be the pits, even when they come directly from God.  Joseph did not let that slow him down.  It took some time,  but God's calling and dream surpassed every ounce of criticism from the majority.

4.  Worry is nothing more than worship of self. 

I like for people to like me, and a when people don't, it bothers me! Additionally, I like to have everything under control and figured out.  "The unknown" goes directly against the fiber of my controlling nature.  My worry is a lack of trust in God.  My self-centric worry declares that my problem is too great or unique for God to handle. Trust in the Lord with ALL thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In ALL thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)  Worry vanishes in an atmosphere of complete worship and trust.

5.  Your haters can make you better if they don't make you bitter.

I mentioned this principle in the introduction of this article.  Follow me long enough and you will read it hundreds more times.  Haters love to highlight issues.  Don't dismiss these based on the source.  If they are right,  then fix the issues!  If they are wrong,  examine their motive for saying those things.  If you demonize a man, you will never understand his motives.  Take extra precaution in those areas,  and pray.  Pray because what we highlight in others if often what we hate about ourself.