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[__ Prayer __] love thy neighbor

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not so good at this one. not that i necessarily hate my neighbor, just...I'm deeply suspicious, at times even paranoid. i sometimes (often?) focus on the horrors of human nature to the point of bringing my mood down and probably quenching The Spirit. so...

I don't know. I pray forgiveness, first off. And I repent of it, and I pray that God will provide what I need to put aside what is behind, press forward, forgive 70x7, and forgive all the minor debts against me. and...

love they neighbor as you love -yourself-. I"m not looking for a huge self-esteem boost or more "humbling experiences" here, but I do pray for adequate, appropriate, Godly, not distorted or contorted self-love.

and...yeah. Thanks. :)
 
not so good at this one. not that i necessarily hate my neighbor, just...I'm deeply suspicious, at times even paranoid. i sometimes (often?) focus on the horrors of human nature to the point of bringing my mood down and probably quenching The Spirit. so...

I don't know. I pray forgiveness, first off. And I repent of it, and I pray that God will provide what I need to put aside what is behind, press forward, forgive 70x7, and forgive all the minor debts against me. and...

love they neighbor as you love -yourself-. I"m not looking for a huge self-esteem boost or more "humbling experiences" here, but I do pray for adequate, appropriate, Godly, not distorted or contorted self-love.

and...yeah. Thanks. :)
one thing that helped me love my neighbor is to know that God loves everyone - even bad people

so how did that help me?

1. i realized that God loves me not because i am good but because GOD is GOOD - that freedom allowed me to extend the same unconditional undeserved love to others

2. i realized God loves us but hates our sin - that helped me to separated bad behavior from the person - if God looks at us with love yet speaks to us about our bad behavior then i ought to look at people the same and speak to them kindly about their bad behavior without judging them - realizing i have bad behavior too and would like to receive the same kindness to help me become a better person

3. Jesus entrusted Himself to no man for He knew what was in a man - this helped me to fixate on God no matter what people do/say - so when people disappoint me i think o well - no one is good - only God is good - i disappoint people too - God loves even those that disappoint Him - God does not entrust Himself to any man - so i don't entrust myself to myself or anyone - i entrust myself and my loved ones to God and His ability and integrity

4. all this is to say you don't have to trust anyone but God - if you fix your trust on God that will help you to not get overwhelmed by distrusting others - distrusting others is fear-based and can drive a person crazy just like worrying can - so don't worry - don't mistrust - just trust God ALONE and take all your needs to Him because He can/will help you when you cast your cares on Him - or in short focus on God and His goodness and all other things will fall into place - especially if you thank Him and praise Him for everything you can think of

praying for you my dear brother
 
thanks, Truthfrees. Your posts are always filled with godly wisdom. Your point about trusting God and -not- man is valid and on point. Today...

I was at the clinic, in a back part of the building, on their plastic sofa, waiting for the shrink. A woman covered in tattoos, even on her face...aging, hard life written all over her...came in, talking about her prescriptions, and...

The Lord put on my heart: she's made for eternity, too. Not that I'm overflowing with Christ-like compassion at this point, but...when I was deep in my mess (in particular...), I needed real -compassion-, I needed (and continue to need, clearly) Jesus. What I got was psychobabble, pills, and bills...and then it all went further downhill. Anyway...

so, my mind went back to a bit of CS Lewis I read. Try to look beyond the person you despise, admire, anything in between...we're all built for eternity. Imagine the most wretched, pathetic human being as the most glorious creature imaginable...and imagine the top dawg, well-regarded human being as potentially becoming something terrible, in that other place, and...

there ya go. On the plus side, the staff seemed to be reasonably professional towards her, which...I found both surprising and refreshing. The nurse they had do my weight, my vitals, etc. was kind and professional. The shrink...he came in over a hi-def webcam...I chatted him up. Don't know why. He was nice enough, but...it kinda dawned on me...most (all?) shrinks have other things to do besides....you know...get chatty w/ "mental patients." LOL. Isn't that odd, when you really stop to think about it? He's out of the clinic soon, anyway, so...yeah. I'll have a new webcam shrink next time, apparently.

kinda rambling, but....yup. and...even the people who torment me, they're going one place or the other, like me or anyone else, so...eyes on Christ, and Him Crucified.

Thanks again. :)
 
The shrink...he came in over a hi-def webcam...I chatted him up. Don't know why. He was nice enough, but...it kinda dawned on me...most (all?) shrinks have other things to do besides....you know...get chatty w/ "mental patients." LOL. Isn't that odd, when you really stop to think about it? He's out of the clinic soon, anyway, so...yeah. I'll have a new webcam shrink next time, apparently.
great post - i agree and support you in everything you said

just quoting this small part because imo shrinks don't at all mind chatting it up with you - you can't work on issues all the time - you need a break so that you can come back fresh and motivated - that's why God made seasons - we do better when there are cycles - a change is as good as a break - seasons and cycles do that for us

praying for all your needs to get met in ways that bless you and accommodate your growth as a person and your growth in KNOWING how great and deep and wide and eternal God's love for you is
 
so, my mind went back to a bit of CS Lewis I read. Try to look beyond the person you despise, admire, anything in between...we're all built for eternity. Imagine the most wretched, pathetic human being as the most glorious creature imaginable...and imagine the top dawg, well-regarded human being as potentially becoming something terrible, in that other place, and...
awesome point - i very much agree - and would add that after seeing the highs and lows of human behavior it still is not very inspiring - God and His ability in me and working on my behalf is so amazing

i kinda got done with looking at myself because my very best isn't good enough and my worst is depressing - so my life does way better when i just look at God all the time - when i'm happy or sad - and then use God's ability to love others to help them KNOW God loves them

imo the biggest impact we have in life is loving others

i have a story about loving others - i earnestly asked God for a specific ministry gift one day - and God said why? you don't love anyone - i was shocked but knew it was true - so for the next 1.5 years asked God everyday almost all day to help me love others - and one day it happened - my heart changed and became filled with God's love - so the moral of the story is no matter what characteristics we are missing God CAN and will supply - the same goes with anything we need - God is our only source of everything - He can supply it directly or He can send someone or something to fill that need - but ultimately God is the source

you are awesome - God bless you my dear brother
 
I was at the clinic, in a back part of the building, on their plastic sofa, waiting for the shrink. A woman covered in tattoos, even on her face...aging, hard life written all over her...came in, talking about her prescriptions, and...

The Lord put on my heart: she's made for eternity, too.
So true and that's progress right there, brother.

I've always been amazed that Jesus could say that his burden is light when he knew what was ahead of him. I guess its because he could see past the pain and suffering on the cross . . . in light of eternity and all the souls he was paying for that was just a moment.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Paul said something similar -
2 Corinthians 4:17
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Christ has given us the tools we need to be filled with love and compassion for others (fruits of the Spirit). In our own pain and suffering we forget to tap into it but keep praying for the Spirit to work in you and see people as Christ sees them - souls that need salvation.
 
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