Having written last time (and it's been less than a week which may be a miracle) about how people can encourage and help us, I decided while reading Psalm 62 this morning that I needed to write part 2 to that thought. While people can help us stay motivated, people can also drain us and cause us to LOSE motivation! The paradox of people... ministry would be great if we had no people to deal with, but we would have no ministry if we had no people!

I remember a time when we had some criticism in the church and how discouraged I felt. I didn't even want to go to church and face people! It was while reading Psalm 62 that GOD encouraged me. Let me share a few thoughts...

God is ultimately our source of help and strength.
While it is good to have friends to share our pain and sadness, we must remember that GOD is our main source of help. Someone said, "Go the throne before you go to the phone."

David said to God, "You alone are my rock and salvation. My fortress where I will never be shaken" and in a later verse He instructs us, "Pour out your heart to Him." It is tempting to go from one to the other and "explain" your side of the story. In my opinion, that seems to keep things stirred up.

Accept that people will hurt you - some intentionally, but most unintentionally. Sometimes it's not even about you- they are already hurting and you happen to be in their path. Even people in church are imperfect humans and they don't always do the right thing (do you?). We are all in need of God's help and mercy. Giving that to others - especially when they hurt us- is a supernatural gift.

We will all answer to God for what we say or do.
I comforted by the fact that God will judge other's wrong actions to me (Get 'em, God), but it sobers me to think that I too will answer for my words and actions. Just because they act ugly and say hurtful things doesn't give me the right to do that back (not matter how justified I feel).