Who is influencing who?

Once upon a time there was an obnoxious guy who always joined in with the typical "Guy" things whenever he got in a group atmosphere.  You know what I'm talking about, wedgies, freezing underwear, napkins in the top of the salt and pepper shakers, and the list goes on.  There was always the classic dried bengay in the underwear as well!  At any rate, he always thought the best thing was to fit in no matter what social atmosphere he was presented with, and for a while he did a good job. 

One day this guy in our story found out that fitting in and meshing with the crowd around him had some pretty big consequences that couldn't always be seen.  He never saw the coworker that went home and cried at night because he had spread malicious remarks in the office.  He never heard the people around him that remarked on how "negative he had become."  So many things had transpired through the ideal that he could just roll through life and live how he wanted.  Then one day he became curious, as any prideful person does, and asked a few important people in his life what kind of person he was.  The answers weren't all roses!  The fact that he had practically dropped almost any sign of being a christian from his daily repertoire also did not help his case.  For many  years after graduating high school he had become a "Sunday morning Christian." 

Well, our guy had now come to a point in his life when several big decisions had come up and he continuously blew everyone of them.  God was always there for him, but he was not there for God.  The guy in our story was me, and now after all of my issues and strife I finally made that turn back to Christ.  All it took was a trip away from home and a bible study that God changed my life with.  How amazing is that poem "Footprints", and how true it is.  God's will for me is never going to be clear because it is "God's will", and not mine.  I like that because every time I thought I had things under control I fell on my face or didn't quite score to high as a good person. 

The next time you are in that group or workplace atmosphere think about what you are doing.  Are you sitting there cussing up a storm?  Are you maliciously ripping on your coworkers, people you meet everyday?  Many people wish for nice people and close friends to surround them, yet they would turn around and slander the first person they could to take attention from their own inequities.   How hard would it be for you to change and give those around you a chance..............

John 8

¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
   ² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
   But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
   ⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
   ¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.
   “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” 
 ¹² When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”