But the interesting thing is, tall poppy syndrome is found in the Bible. It's not referred to, but you can find it there if you understand what it is. Remember a tall poppy is a person who stands out from others because they're great achievers, they've worked hard, they excel. Financially they've got ahead. They've risen up and achieved in sports, they've really risen up and they've got somewhere in a position somewhere. Okay, that's a tall poppy. Tall poppy syndrome is, pull them down so they're equal or less than us - not good. It absolutely promotes mediocrity, and lack of achievement, and lack of potential, and destroys dreams. It's a wicked thing. It's a wicked thing. It's a wicked evil. It's a spirit of murder, that comes in the nation to try and knock people down. Jesus experienced it in Mark 15, Verse 10 I think it is somewhere. It says that Pilot or Herod knew that it was envy that caused the Pharisees to hand Jesus over. They had Him killed, because they envied Him. That's tall poppy syndrome. They did a dirty on Him, because of the tall poppy syndrome. They wanted what He had. He was popular, they wanted to be popular. He didn't seek the fame, he had it, so the tall poppy syndrome - you can see it manifest. Someone gets a new car, someone gets a promotion, someone gets some money, someone gets a new house, someone gets ahead, someone achieves - oh oh oh! Do you think people can rise up and bless them? No, often they just kind of ah well, he probably stole it, probably cheated. Well, you know lawyers, they steal stuff. He's probably ripped it off someone down - see, it's all words to tear down, rather than acknowledge an achiever, rather than acknowledge someone achieving.
What I found in school teaching is, I found that in some of the classes, the tall poppy syndrome is so powerful, it shapes the whole academic achievement of the class, and again unfortunately, it was particularly so among the Maori students that I taught. When one did well, all the others so abused him for doing well, that the next time the tests came in, he didn't do well at all. Oh, I used to get so upset with that kind of stuff, but it's not distinct for any culture. It's just part of issues we've got to deal with in life. How about that aye, so how are you going to deal with the put downs? Well you've got to deal with the put downs, because these kinds of put downs, and the tall poppy syndrome, or mocking humour, or family put downs, all those kinds of things, they wound your spirit, they impart shame, so you don't like who you are, and what they do is they destroy your initiative, and your excellence. They shut your gifts down. That's the things they do; shut your gifts down, destroy initiative and excellence.
So now this is what happens when people are put down. There are two responses you can make to being put down, and how you respond is going to have a huge impact on your life. Tonight I want to make it possible for people to receive ministry if you've lived a life where you've been put down. Now listen to this. When a put down comes, usually there's words or humour or an attitude, and it always imparts a spirit that murders your initiative, your life, your desire, your dream, whatever, tries to hold you back down.
Now there's one of two responses. Number one response is, you can receive it, and come into agreement with it, but when you do, that not only do you get wounded inside, but you come into agreement with that statement. You come into agreement with a curse, and then almost certainly you'll start to echo it yourself, and repeat it yourself, and put yourself down, then soon you'll be putting someone else down, like for example I'm no value, I can never get ahead, I'll never get anywhere, I'll never achieve, I'll never amount to much. See, once we start to agree I'm no good, there's something wrong with me - see when we start to listen to those messages of shame that put downs put in us, and we agree with them, they become empowered to become our future. Is that what you want for your life? Is that what you want for the people around you, who you love? I don't think so. We've got to get this put down thing out of our system.