13 drafts

I opened up my laptop again this morning just to end up closing it after a chunk of time was spent writing with subdued ideas. Looking through my drafts from the past two months or so, I found it frustrating that my words weren't good enough for my own satisfaction, let alone someone else's.
It got me thinking: why do I really care that much, honestly? Why do I let other's opinions control my actions, and furthermore, my life?
More often than not, I let the thoughts of [you're a fake and a swindler, or you are not important and your voice doesn't matter] get into my head. It is a terrible habit to think like that, but I think that in different ways we all struggle with how we react to the opinions of others. If we didn't, we wouldn't be human.
In the bible, there is a boy named David, who is the perfect representation of the courage we should have in God. David was no mighty man, as he tended to his sheep on a day-to-day basis. The Israelites were terrified of a warrior of the Philistines, Goliath, whom had challenged them to send out a man to battle him. The deal was: if no man could defeat Goliath, the Israelites would become slaves to the Philistines. David went off to Saul to tell him that he was going to fight Goliath himself, because he did not fear the giant warrior. When Saul agreed to send David, this tiny sheep herder with no fighting experience, to fight Goliath, the largest and scariest warrior known at the time, everyone doubted that David would return. Honestly, I would too. David however fought in the name of the Lord, and he successfully defeated Goliath with a single slingshot and stone. Imagine if he would have listened to the opinions of those people who did not believe he could come through. His people would have been enslaved for their lives.
I was talking with my mentor a while back about social media and the extent of its purpose. The conversation began with the belittling of any and all social media sites, as it gives room for boasting, temptation, selfish motive, jealous intention, and even dangerous oversharing of information. While social media "sin" tends to be a very slippery slope to fall into, it was also a resource that God allowed us to have to use for good. Think about all of the people you follow, or the people that follow you, whom you don't see on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. They see what you post, regardless if they "like" the content of it. Think of the impacts you could make on the lives of those people if you used your social media site as your ministry. Don't you want someone to look at your life and say: what is so different about them? Where does their true joy come from? What separates them from the world? Following up those questions, don't you want them to see that the only answer is Jesus? You are completely capable of shining a light from afar, and social media is among one example of ways you can.
So, the point of this post? I just want to tell whoever is reading this that you are important. Everything you say has an impact on the receiver of the message in some way. God uses His people through ways that we will never understand.
Be courageous with your words and your faith, but be gentle in the meantime. Love those around you, no matter if it is directly or indirectly. Go the extra mile to serve others without expecting anything in return. Pay attention to the little things. Pray with the kids you babysit before bedtime. Talk about God as if he is your best friend. Be transparent with people. Practice what you preach.
Have the same courage that David had in God; He will never fail you, and that is a fact.

Sincerely,

"Published" Ash.
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