Where I am at today in my "christian life". As a "christian" or if there is such a thing as a "fence sitting christian" (I know there is not but that's still where I am) - how do you deal with those times when you are bombarded with people telling you what you should be or should not be doing? I guess an example would be someone saying, "If you are a Christian you really shouldn't be doing that (hmmm let's say swearing not that I swear ...much)" or you should be doing (fill in the blank). When these times happen and sure as stuff they do, and too often I usually do not say anything...I can blog about it, but to the persons face, I usually clam up. I know what I should do and what I should not do...knowing these things does not make it any easier, and I just wanna scream when someone else points out the things I already know (not once but over and over). I have not flipped the bird at someone for over a year now...I use to do that the odd time when you get those idiot drivers GRRRRRRRRRR...(deep breath) okay - better now. :) I know I am still living in Romans 7:14-20...I know what I should do but I do what I want (paraphrase). So when I have people telling me what to do I sometimes want to tell them what to do. This does not mean I do not want your advice on any of the stuff I am going through, I love hearing your comments. I just don't want someone saying on a daily basis "choose this day who you will serve" . I am the type who when push comes to shove, I will push back. When it comes to words like previously stated. hearing over and over...I am usually more likely to not heed those words and do the opposite. Yeah I can be a stubborn person every now and then. Hmmm sometimes more now than then :) I'm done ranting for now, or till you tell me otherwise :)~
Trivia for the day (for kids) ;) http://www.slylockfox.com/arcade/BrainBogglers/game28.html
13 comments:
Mike, we all are stubborn. Take the church issue, I can't count how many times someone has told me "forsake not the gathering.. ", you know the rest. What some people don't understand is that the behavior isn't the issue. There are greater issues at stake. I work with a guy who is blatantly gay, and I don't care. So what if he is gay, so what if the next person is dishonest in whatever, so what if .... that person is a sinner. The behavior isn't the issue. Until a person knows God, nothing else matters. No other issue is important. Once we know God, what matters most is that we are Christ-followers. I think we all need someone in our lives who has permission to push us in areas. But the key is "WE give them permission". I don't like just anyone telling me what to do, or how, or when. And guess what, I react. We need to be very sensitive to the fact that we don't know the secrets of another's heart, another's struggle, another's hurts, etc. And there is a difference between being someone's accountability person by their invitation, and being someone's judge without invitation. Having said that.. how many times have I told someone, "you need to.. "... or "why don't you..." ??
Su-Ann
PS.. tried to send you an email to invite you to write on our "congregation" blog. but it came back to me undeliverable.
WOW we have a new preacher. Well spoken on all accounts. I am signing you up for next Sunday's sermon. There is a lot of truth packed into that paragraph ... maybe I see it because of where I am at also.
check your email.. i am sending the original email i sent last night. now i'll go on and add you to our invites.
by the way, thanks for the compliment.. preacher.. NO. Person with life experience.. Yes.
Su-Ann
i must admit i tend to push back too! i don't like to be judged especially by someone who doesn't know me, who is usually everyone but bob - and sometimes he wonders if he knows me or not. i learned at a very young age to be someone that i wasn't (the mask thing) most of the time - it's a hard habit to break. i still find myself trying to be who others want me to be rather than who God wants me to be.
Su-Ann, i think you hit the nail on the head. No one has the right to hold us accountable until we have given them permission. Usually the people that are trying to put us on the right path have a whole lot of work to do themselves - and are not really trying to hold us accountable but instead judging us - and we know the bible deals with that issue too.
gotta run - you all have a great day now and don't be.... just kidding.
This discussion of holding accountable came up at a church meeting a few years ago. There were a few people at our table who felt that to be genuine, we had to be able to tell everyone in church everything. I didn't speak up at the time (the crowd thing, ya know), but later discussed it with my friend, LL, who was also at the table. We both felt that in order to bring about true growth, there needed to be sensitivity involved, a deeper knowing relationship than what most relationships are (in groups the size of our church), and there needed to be acceptance by the one doing the speaking. We aren't going to respond genuinely, to someone's rebuke or discipline, or even gentle encouraging guidance, until we know we are loved, accepted and forgiven by them. And just because we don't respond to everyone who thinks they should tell us to do this or that, doesn't make us less spiritually sensitive. In some ways, it might mean we are more spiritually sensitive. Not even Paul listened to what everyone thot he should do.
Su-Ann
PS.. so ONLY kids can do the riddle?? I guess I must be a kid today!! fingerprints inside the gloves. Saliva. hair left behind. foot prints.
Today I will be a kid also, the answer I think is... they found his TOE PRINTS because he wasn't wearing shoes because he was at the beach :)
Yep only kids, well anyone under 40...hmmm anyone in this group under 40 :):):)
Sensitivity and acceptance are very key to sharing with people things you are going through...especially areas behind the mask, and don't forget trust. As much or as little as we want to share those areas, we need to know first that there is a trust there ... where you know nothing will be said to someone else.
Funny thing about all this though....hmmm well kinda funny...if I were talking to complete strangers in this blog, it would be easier to tell them than the people I know. Hmmm Hmmm
Food for thought and no veggies either :)
mike you make me laugh!! we will have to start calling you trudeau with the fliping the bird thing. i hate to sound like a broken record but [i am not telling you what to do mike i am speaking generally here] love God ... and buy some ear plugs. love God is all it takes and we will progressively become all we are meant to be. God looks at the heart - i don't think he really gives a rip if you smoke a cigarette [or cigar] but he cares very much about your heart and if you are growing closer to Him rather than further from Him. in time He may care about you smoking a cigarette if HE and i specify HE here, convicts you of it seeing that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. others are not in a position to make that call. i am using smoking as an example only. call me a liberal. i can take it.
AMEN to you suann!
the riddle's answer is that he left toe prints. you know i am a kid at heart!
deb
Yeah it is very much a matter of the heart and growing in Him.
I guess we are all kids at heart. Mel...you are just a wee lil kid too ;)
Hey Su-ann, are you on your way to my fave city...or is it your secret fave city too :)~
Have a nice trip and see you back in a couple of weeks.
Hi Mike, I leave probably tomorrow afternoon (wednesday). NOT MY FAV CITY!!! I don't really have a fav city, i don't think. i do have a fav 3yr old, and i have fav ice cream. and i have fav friends. and i have fav camping spots. but not fav cities. oh well.
Su-Ann
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