Predictions

If you are a watcher -and believer- of groundhogs, then you know we can expect 6 more weeks of winter.  (I’m sorry…have we had winter?!   As someone wrote on Facebook yesterday, 6 more weeks of this kind of winter is not too bad)

As a former Kindergarten teacher who watched closely with my 5 year olds whether or not that famous rodent would see his shadow, I – with tongue in cheek- tend to believe his predictions. 

As I thought about the groundhog yesterday, I was reminded of some other ‘predictions’ I’ve believed- about myself/my life.  Some of these predictions were based on a social concept of how things should be, others were based on a true knowledge of me as a person, and still others were much more prophetic in nature. 

In each case, the predictions were positive.  Things like- you’re going to do well in school, you’re going to be a great mom someday, you’re going to be a leader, children will flock to you…

You see- all positive. 

Now- what if the exact same things were said in this way:

You’re a pleaser so get ready to work long hours, you’re going to pour everything you are into kids who will rarely-if ever-say thanks, you’ll be the first to arrive and the last to leave, you will rarely have an adult conversation. 

Not as appealing when stated this way.

So…here’s my point.  These predictions about me/my life were positive.  I wanted to believe them.  I wanted to be all that someone else believed about me.  

I didn’t need to know about the ‘underbelly’ of these predictions, and even if I had, it wouldn’t have mattered.  We- as a general rule- receive and believe the positive over the negative every time. 

What does that say about what we’re telling the children we disciple?  What does it say about anyone in our life we’re trying to disciple? Our words – not just what we say, but how we say it- matter.   Jesus spoke the truth- many times the hard truth- to people, but the positive always outweighed the negative. 

People need to know they are loved by God, that He has a plan for them. They also need to know that following Jesus is not always easy- that there is going to be some “cost” to them; however, the positive of following Jesus ALWAYS outweighs the negative.  When people-no matter the age- know the reality of who Jesus is, the cost won’t matter.  The prediction- the future hope- of following Him will be like the prediction of an early spring. 

And…just to bring this whole prediction thing home…

One news show said the prediction was six more weeks of winter.  Another said “just 6 weeks til spring.” 

Which one will you believe?