Overcoming the Doubters in Your Life

It happened again.  Tim Tebow was instrumental in winning another game as quarterback for the Denver Broncos Sunday afternoon.  It’s ironic because he has been doubted every step of the way by every critic imaginable.  They say his arm angle isn’t correct when throwing the ball, his feet are too jumpy in the pocket, and he takes too long to get rid of the ball.   Yet he keeps on winning. 

I guess he never received the memo that he is supposed to lose.

The criticism directed at this guy’s lack of ability as quarterback and his commitment as a Christian never stops.  How does he respond?  By never spewing venom himself or arguing about his qualifications.  He just keeps winning.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO JUSTIFY YOURSELF TO ANYONE WHEN YOU REFUSE TO QUIT.

Doubters.  They benefit us in some ways.  They become landmarks of our perseverance. 

• I’ve heard them my entire life starting when became a believer at 24 years old.  People told me I wouldn’t last six months.  I did. 
• When Renae and I decided to get married, her pastor said it was not God’s will.  It was. 
• When I felt called into the ministry some of my friends thought I had become misguided.  I wasn’t. 
• After I entered the ministry a lot of self-appointed "advisors" offered me their free advice that I was too young to be a pastor.  I just lived by I Timothy 4:12 anyway and outlasted them.
• When I asked permission to start a new church in Santa Rosa County my denominational officials said no and treated me very roughly.  After I caught one of them in a lie and confronted him about it, he said, “As long as I am the presbyter of this district, there will be no new churches in this area.”  God had other plans.  
• After I finally made the decision to plant Pace Community Church, preachers all over the place predicted our doom.  One pastor even got on local television and claimed we were not a real church!  Yet here we are.
• When I outlined the vision to our fledging congregation stating that we were looking for at least twenty acres of land for a future campus, someone laughed out loud.  They thought I was telling a joke.  I wasn’t.  We ended up buying twenty-five acres of land instead.
• During our ten year hiccup certain people actually worked to destroy me and my reputation, and they did so with deliberate intent and malice of forethought.  God was my Shield.

Doubters do us a big favor.  They remind us that we need God every step of the way.  And in some ways they propel us to achieve greater success than we would’ve achieved otherwise.  Yes, they become landmarks of our perseverance.

Believe me, I wish everyone was an encourager.  That would be great.  But it’s not reality.  There will always be someone to throw cold water on your dreams.  Don’t fight them.  Don’t seek their approval.  You don’t need it anyway.  Just trust God and keep winning, one play at a time.