Cheerleaders or Killjoys

This week, my husband and I sat on the sidelines of two Christmas parades.

• Floats.
• Cheerleaders.
• School bands.
• Local businesses.
• Community organizations.

As the parade progressed, some on the side lines cheered. Others jeered.

I thought of my parade through life.  Who sits on my sideline?

Cheerleaders or killjoys?

Do they applaud, encourage, and motivate me to move forward in my life?

Do they boost me up, energize, inspire, and rally around me?

Or…

Do they spoil the pleasure and joy in me?

Do they dampen my spirit, discourage, or hinder me?

Cheerleaders or killjoys?

Even more… Who am I on the sideline of others’ parades through life?

Cheerleader or killjoy?

Do I applaud, encourage, and motivate them to move forward in their lives?

Do I boost them up, energize, inspire, and rally around them?

Or…

Do I spoil the pleasure and joy in them?

Do I dampen their spirit, discourage, or hinder them?

Cheerleader or killjoy?

I want to be a cheerleader. I want to encourage others daily (Hebrews 3:13). I want to affirm them more and more as we all approach the end of our parades (Hebrews 10:25). I want to keep building them up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). I want to comfort them (Isaiah 40:1).

And I want those types of people on my sidelines.

Cheerleaders, not killjoys.

Come alongside… Which one are you? What type of person do you have on the sideline of your life? Who can you comfort today? What can you do to change?