Influence and Honor

Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor. The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish! (Psalm 112 ESV).

For many years Monterey, a California coast town, was a pelican’s paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, they flung the offal to the pelicans. The birds grew fat, lazy, and contented. Eventually, however the offal was utilized, and there were no longer snacks for the pelicans. When the change came the pelicans made no effort to fish for themselves. They waited around and grew gaunt and thin. Many starved to death. They had forgotten how to fish for themselves. The problem was solved by importing new pelicans from the south, birds accustomed to foraging for themselves. They were placed among their starving cousins, and the newcomers immediately started catching fish. Before long, the hungry pelicans followed suit, and the famine was ended.

The power of influence is often underestimated. Why would we even think of hanging around with people who ridicule our dreams, our hopes, our goals? Quite often we do so and the reasons may be many. Not only do we associate with these pessimists, we let them influence us. How many great dreams have died because a person allowed the doubts and criticism of another to become their own? People who are so ready to dash our hopes and dreams do not really have our interest at heart. On the other hand, the truly great people realize that a person's dreams are precious and fragile. They realize that the ability to support and encourage another is a great gift given freely and unconditionally. This gift makes both the giver and receiver better for the giving and receiving.

Seek out and associate with people who will support and encourage you. Seek people who are sincerely concerned about you and your dreams. Seek counsel from those who give it in a positive way. These people will help you realize your dreams. Then, be one of those people yourself. Encourage people in a positive, unconditional way. The circle will then be complete.