When the pirahnas bite, remind yourself that you matter to God.

Small Pirahna, Brazil

One of my favorite memories in all of my trips to Brazil is fishing in the Rio Negro. Fishing is one of my favorite pasttimes, especially in the summer. However, for the people of Brazil, it is a MAJOR source of income, food, and survival. Brazilians don't casually fish; they fish with a purpose. There is a means to an end, and it is found on the end of a fishing pole.

Pirahna fishing was a new one for me, and I learned that one way to call them to the top of the water is to slap the water repeatedly. I guess we could have thrown a bucket of blood into the water to call them as well, but it would have been a nasty frenzy. :) They don't attack and eat every living thing that dips a toe into the water, but I wasn't ready to risk jumping in the river to find out if that whole theory was true or not either.

BUT, one thing I found true about every pirahna we caught: they had teeth. Didn't matter the size of the pirahna, there were always sharp teeth. My sister once told me that in her town women who gossipped or were after your husband were often called a slang word that meant pirahna. Basically, a human pirahna or a pirahna fish have the same thing in common: they rip, tear, cause pain, and leave scars.

Have you ever felt like you do not matter to anyone? Have you ever felt like you are insignificant and unimportant and your ideas are dumb? Have you ever had a co-worker cut you down to where you doubted your own abilities? Have you ever had your child speak to you disrespectfully and cause pain that you didn't know you were able to feel? Have you ever felt such despair over someone's words that you sat on the bottom of the shower floor and cried until you couldn't?  Have you ever had the love of your life speak demeaning words to you that cut right to the bone? Have you ever had someone make fun of your child because they didn't understand the whole situation?

Well, until you can say yes to one of these or something similar, you may not know the damage of what someone's words can do to the soul. When we experience the cut, the tear, the pain--we get to experience just a little of how Jesus must have felt on our Earth. The Bible tells us that he was despised and rejected, and I imagine that many times it was in the form of WORDS.

Friend, take a moment and read Psalm 64. The first 6 verses explain how the "pirahnas" devise ways to hurt with their bite. But the next 2 verses tell us that God shall shoot at them with an arrow and they will make their own tongues cut themselves. It ends with "the righteous shall be glad in the Lord..." Encourage yourself in the Lord, immerse yourself in the WORD of God, and surround yourself with positive people when you are verbally attacked.

I am currently reading EMBRACING THE WORLD by Mary Ray, wife of Dr. James Ray, former director of BIMI. She gave me a copy of her book at our recent Missions Conference, and I'm amazed to read of how God is using the "little, insignificant people" who used to not matter but now matter a great deal to a WHOLE lot of people. When we are talking about someone's eternal soul, suddenly the "little people" become really important to the lost person who is now rejoicing that he has a place in heaven!

David Livingstone, missionary to Africa in the 1800's once said, "I will place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ." Don't let the "temporaries" of this world shake your faith. You matter to Him. God has a purpose for your life. If you aren't in His will, then get in the Word and get in God's face and ask Him. If you are in His will and just going through the fire because of other people's evil words or demises, encourage yourself in the Lord, and don't see your value in what you possess. Look at the whole picture. If you are reaching people for Christ, if you are living your life to please the Lord, if you are an encourager in the things of right--you matter.

By the way, the pirahnas didn't stay around when we ran out of bait. Don't give the pirahnas in your life any bait, and they will get lost eventually. =)

Have a good day!