Don’t be SNIOPed

I once heard a story about a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hotdogs.  He was hard of hearing and had trouble with his eyes so he didn’t listen to the radio, watch television or read the newspaper.  All he did was sell hotdogs – good hotdogs at that.  He had put up signs along the road advertising his hotdogs and as people walked by his hotdog stand he would yell out, “Buy a hotdog” and people bought his hotdogs.  His business was thriving.  He bought a bigger stand and increased his meat and bun orders.  As a result, he was able to put his son through college.  His boy graduated from college and came home as an educated pessimist.  The man’s son said, “Dad, haven’t you been listening to the radio?  Haven’t you been watching the news?  Haven’t you been reading the newspaper?  There’s a recession on, Dad.  The situation in Europe is terrible and the domestic situation is even worse.”  The man gave a lot of thought to what his son said and reasoned to himself, “Well, my son is a college graduate and he listens to the radio, watches the TV, and reads the newspapers.  He ought to know what’s going on.”  So the man reduced his meat and bun orders, took down his signs along the road, and no longer bothered to stand out by the road and sell hotdogs.  His sales fell overnight, to which he said to his son, “You were right son, we certainly are in the middle of a big recession.” 

This story has always reminded me of the acronym SNIOP (pronounced SNEEOP).  It stands for

Susceptible to the Negative Influence of Other People.  The man in the above story was greatly influence (to his own detriment) by his son’s negative attitude and outlook on life.  Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation –  moving forward, only to have someone come alongside you, discourage you, and then you end up giving up?  If so, then you’ve been SNIOPed! 

How can you avoid being SNIOPed?  One of my favorite passages in the book of Psalms gives us some insight:

 Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident…I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.  Psalm 27:3, 13-14 

The key to not being SNIOped is to have our confidence in the right place.  Our confidence must not be in ourselves nor in those around us (be they our friend or our foe).  Our confidence must be in God – the God who sustains, supports, and strengthens us for this incredible journey with Christ.  This confidence can only come when we believe in His goodness given to us through His Truth (Jesus Christ and His promises) and His presence (the Holy Spirit in us).

 When our confidence is rightly placed on our God, who cannot lie, and in His Word, which cannot fail, then we can (and must) wait for Him in complete confidence.  His timing is perfect so don’t fret or be impatient.  Wait for the Lord.  Even when others come along and share their unbelief, negative attitudes, and discouragement, wait on Him.  Don’t despair – you will see the goodness of the Lord.

 So the next time someone comes along and tries to discourage you, be polite, have a “righteous” deaf ear, and keep your eyes and heart fixed on Him.  Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.

By God's Grace ~ Through God's Word ~ For God's Glory!

Chuck Long

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