(no subject)
revelation of the day:
okay, so it's come to mind a couple of times lately that no matter how another person treats me, it doesn't change the way i should (Biblically) treat them. that even if a person is mean or rude or hurtful to me, i should still be treating them with love and kindness and compassion. this is how we are set apart as Christians--we shouldn't be living by the world's standards of treat well those who treat you well and treat poorly those who treat you poorly...cause well, then we aren't any different and what's the point? i mean, there's still a point, we're still headed for heaven. but i'm saying, what if when people hurt us we responded in love and prayed for them, that God would bless their lives? that's what we're told to do in the Bible anyway (read 1 peter 3). well, if we can do that, then we're really different now aren't we? they will know we are Christians by our love? anyway, the big revelation was...well, when someone hurts me i tend to sit around and think about it a lot, what i did, what they did, who was right, etc. etc.
but here's the thing: no matter who was right or wrong or who did what to whom, it doesn't change that we're supposed to be bearing with one another in love, that we're supposed to be kind and compassionate, that we are not to return evil for evil or insult for insult but pray blessings for people who hurt us--NONE OF THAT CHANGES! but thinking about how badly they hurt me or how horribly they acted or how guilty i feel or how awkward it is or whatever things that i think about that make me not feel like doing any of the things i should be doing in relation to them, that just makes it harder to do them! it doesn't change what we're called to do and who we're called to be as Christians, just makes it SO MUCH HARDER to do those things and be those people.
so why not forget about it? pray for the strength to forgive, don't let the sun set on your anger, don't fume over it and analyze it and try to decide whether or not they deserve to be treated well, just treat them as you are called to treat them! that's what grace is, and we've received it abundantly from the Father, so let's have it with each other!
it's like dr. kohl always says: "the answer is determined by how you ask the question" ... if we ask ourselves the question "who was right?" or "do they deserve to be treated well?" then the inevitable answer is going to be "well, no they don't, i'm totally justified in being upset with them, what they did was horrible" etc. etc. but if we ask the question, "how can i glorify God in the way i handle this?" then, well, it becomes a different matter entirely, doesn't it?
new year's resolution number 1: (reverentially) fear God more than people.
okay, so it's come to mind a couple of times lately that no matter how another person treats me, it doesn't change the way i should (Biblically) treat them. that even if a person is mean or rude or hurtful to me, i should still be treating them with love and kindness and compassion. this is how we are set apart as Christians--we shouldn't be living by the world's standards of treat well those who treat you well and treat poorly those who treat you poorly...cause well, then we aren't any different and what's the point? i mean, there's still a point, we're still headed for heaven. but i'm saying, what if when people hurt us we responded in love and prayed for them, that God would bless their lives? that's what we're told to do in the Bible anyway (read 1 peter 3). well, if we can do that, then we're really different now aren't we? they will know we are Christians by our love? anyway, the big revelation was...well, when someone hurts me i tend to sit around and think about it a lot, what i did, what they did, who was right, etc. etc.
but here's the thing: no matter who was right or wrong or who did what to whom, it doesn't change that we're supposed to be bearing with one another in love, that we're supposed to be kind and compassionate, that we are not to return evil for evil or insult for insult but pray blessings for people who hurt us--NONE OF THAT CHANGES! but thinking about how badly they hurt me or how horribly they acted or how guilty i feel or how awkward it is or whatever things that i think about that make me not feel like doing any of the things i should be doing in relation to them, that just makes it harder to do them! it doesn't change what we're called to do and who we're called to be as Christians, just makes it SO MUCH HARDER to do those things and be those people.
so why not forget about it? pray for the strength to forgive, don't let the sun set on your anger, don't fume over it and analyze it and try to decide whether or not they deserve to be treated well, just treat them as you are called to treat them! that's what grace is, and we've received it abundantly from the Father, so let's have it with each other!
it's like dr. kohl always says: "the answer is determined by how you ask the question" ... if we ask ourselves the question "who was right?" or "do they deserve to be treated well?" then the inevitable answer is going to be "well, no they don't, i'm totally justified in being upset with them, what they did was horrible" etc. etc. but if we ask the question, "how can i glorify God in the way i handle this?" then, well, it becomes a different matter entirely, doesn't it?
new year's resolution number 1: (reverentially) fear God more than people.