Excited.  That was how she felt.  Finally she would be able to use the gift God had giving her.  She had been practicing for a long time and Sunday morning she would sing the special at church.  Sunday morning came and she sang with a passion and love for God.  Beyond that she sung to the best of her ability.  God had moved and all the people thought she sounded lovely.  Then it came.  Julie, her supposed friend begin to spread how she really did not sound that good.

          Was Julie motivated by jealously or bitterness because she had messed up in the past?  Regardless of which one there is one thing that is clear. Julie has crab bucket mentality.  Crabs you see are not good at climbing.  They can climb up a little bit but then fall back down. Because of this they make it their purpose to pull others down who may not share the same limitations they have.  Ask yourself an important question, do I pull people down or help them climb? 

          That may be one of the most important questions you ever ask yourself.  It reveals whether you have crab bucket mentality or not.  It also reveals how low your ceiling for success in your endeavor is.  For if you are going to go anywhere in life you must learn to help others climb… not pull them down.  Pulling others down may seem to make you advance quickly at first but it will severely lower your ceiling of possible success in the future.  Key statement:  We are not called to build our Kingdom; we are called to build God’s Kingdom.  This means we must help other people climb.  Not pull them down. 

          When we view life and living for God through the lens of building our own Kingdom…. invariable we will have crab bucket mentality.  This is not pleasing or acceptable unto God.  Jesus said, “If any man come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).  We must be individuals who help others climb… not pull them down.

          My first Pastor was a very wise man.  One thing I gleamed from him was that he constantly complimented those around him and built them up.  By doing this he helped them to reach their potential by causing them to maximize their efforts.  An unintended consequence was that it also allowed him to be that much more effective in what he did, leading the people.  If we are to be everything God wants us to be we must realize we cannot get there alone.  One can put a thousand to flight, impressive (Dt. 32:30).  But two can put ten thousand to flight, impossible….. by yourself (Dt. 32:30). 

          So do you want to be a crab or would you rather get out of the bucket?

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