Action speaks louder than words.

[Seasoned by Grace]

In the movie "Jesus", Peter is asked a question by Jesus that's not in the bible, but very appropriate.
Jesus asked Peter if he was "MAN ENOUGH TO LOVE."
I have the movie, and each time I watch it, that question really hits me deep in my heart and my faith.
It reminds me how much further I have to go in my faith.

Jesus declared, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself - Matth. 22:38.

We all know how easy it is to come here and share our beliefs and convictions, but how easy is it to help a neighbor or share what we have with others, or just take some time to listen to someone who is needing an ear in this fast-paced world of ours.

It's so easy to TALK my faith, but I find it 10 times harder to WALK my faith.

To show love sometimes can be gut-wrenching. Maybe the person who wants to talk, talks very loud and gets so close to you face to face, you want to run.
Or maybe you've heard their story so many times you have it memorized and you just "cringe" when your on a walk and they head straight for you, and you want to turn and walk (or run) the other way.

ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS. "Am I man enough to LOVE?"

More and more as I get older, Gods words about love ring louder and louder, and convicts me more and more as I near some homes with those I have a hard time with on a walk, or they come my way on their walk headed for me, and I want to turn and go in my home.

ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS, and our world around us is hurting, "Am I man enough to LOVE?

 

[humble soul]

Am I man enough to LOVE?

I like it. It challenges masculine stereotypes.

 

[Who Me]

but how easy is it to help a neighbor or share what we have with others, or just take some time to listen to someone who is needing an ear in this fast-paced world of ours.

If one knows your neighbour or is there and willing it can be very easy. It is being willing that is difficult.

It is the same with evangelism at work. Are we willing to appear fools before our colleagues, because that is often the result of talking about what Christianity means to you.

Just how different are we? What is our language like, or our conversation like, how willing are we to help others at work possibly missing our targets because of it!

Love is not ' fluffy ' it is real and can be tough, sometimes the person who pours out the same sad tale needs to be told, to actually do something to change that cycle of sadness and that can hurt.

Love is telling the truth, that rejecting Jesus ends in Jesus rejecting you.

 

[daninthelionsden]

If one knows your neighbour or is there and willing it can be very easy. It is being willing that is difficult.

It is the same with evangelism at work. Are we willing to appear fools before our colleagues, because that is often the result of talking about what Christianity means to you.

Just how different are we? What is our language like, or our conversation like, how willing are we to help others at work possibly missing our targets because of it!

Love is not ' fluffy ' it is real and can be tough, sometimes the person who pours out the same sad tale needs to be told, to actually do something to change that cycle of sadness and that can hurt.

Love is telling the truth, that rejecting Jesus ends in Jesus rejecting you.

The "just get over it" does have its time and place, but it all depends on how severe the hurt, how deep the pain and how broken the person. The most common theme I've seen used against victims of childhood sexual assault is to attack the victim by implying they are somehow complicit in the crime committed against them or are guilty of the crime themselves. This is an insidious attempt to get the victim to go back to internalizing the trauma. This relieves the pressure on societal leaders to bring perpetrators to legal/civil accountability.
I've been to numerous forums across a wide spectrum of societal, religious, political persuasions. The common thread in each I've found when encountering resistance about the acknowledgment of the massive spread of pedophilia in our society and the damage it causes, is they will each attack the victim. I've seen this in atheistic forums, liberal forums, conservative forums and even in some Christian forums.
I must say I have not seen it in this forum, at least not overtly. Compassion runs deep here. Here I've witnessed great things. Other forums taught me to sharpen my tongue and show no mercy. This forum taught me the healing power of the Holy Spirit. Each word spoken by Christians has the power to heal or wound. Truth must always be balanced with love.

 

[Seasoned by Grace]

We all have been living in some of the most difficult, angry, and violent times since the '60s. Our country is drained emotionally from the divisiveness and hatefulness of so many in this country, from the top down.
We are a hurting and divided country in so many areas of life including the "pandemic", and everything we have had to suffer because of it.
But as a nation, we are also a family, and families have problems, and LOVE and KINDNESS and FORGIVENESS is what helps families to heal and get stronger.
From the top down, Love can help neighborhoods be a better place to live, and even loving your neighbor can bring such wonderful peace and trust and a sense of family, not to mention honoring God's ROYAL COMMAND.

Even here, love can define this forum by our kindness for one another, and our acceptance of others' differences, and deferring opinions and beliefs, and be loved right where we are in our faith without being demonized or condemned.
We are all on this same path together TO GET TO HEAVEN, and we should be HOLDING HANDS IN LOVE and be supporting one another to get there, not tearing into each other and like ravenous wolves, trying to rip off someones spiritual flesh.

God bless us all, and God help us all be more genuinely LOVING and KIND.
Seasoned by Grace

 

[Who Me]

The "just get over it" does have its time and place, but it all depends

On what the problem is. I encounter on other forums people suffering from self inflicted problems or from problems with therapies that can be followed but won't follow them but post repeatedly for prayer for this problem.

No one can effectively councel another person on a forum it is best done face to face.

 

[Seasoned by Grace]

On what the problem is. I encounter on other forums people suffering from self inflicted problems or from problems with therapies that can be followed but won't follow them but post repeatedly for prayer for this problem.

No one can effectively councel another person on a forum it is best done face to face.

Who Me
Like many on this forum, especially in my younger years, I had my share of problems to deal with and sought out professional help several times, face to face, sometimes for several years.
Life isn't fair and can be difficult, but with consistent and effective counseling, we can go on to live a much more normal and stable life with the right effective help.
Mine were all Christian professionals and that made all the difference for all my years to come ? .

 

[jaybo]

On what the problem is. I encounter on other forums people suffering from self inflicted problems or from problems with therapies that can be followed but won't follow them but post repeatedly for prayer for this problem.

No one can effectively councel another person on a forum it is best done face to face.

Perhaps, but we are in the middle of a pandemic that severely limits face-to-face (in person) therapy. Where I live it is impossible to get an in-person therapy session. So, a forum really isn't a bad alternative IMHO.

 

[Christ_empowered]

my counseling and med checks are now over the phone...

and I am -fortunate- , because I still receive counseling and med checks, medical care in general. a lot of people are stuck dealing with all sorts of health problems, mental health problems, and check up issues (mammograms, bone density screenings, etc.) that just...cannot get done...

part covid, part covid making the -big- problems in the US health care system that much worse. :-(

I'm hoping Medicare for All will become a reality, at...some point...

 

[Christ_empowered]

I think a camera may help you to feel more at ease CE. Remember the Lord is with you.
Praying for you.

The "just get over it" does have its time and place, but it all depends on how severe the hurt, how deep the pain and how broken the person. The most common theme I've seen used against victims of childhood sexual assault is to attack the victim by implying they are somehow complicit in the crime committed against them or are guilty of the crime themselves. This is an insidious attempt to get the victim to go back to internalizing the trauma. This relieves the pressure on societal leaders to bring perpetrators to legal/civil accountability.
I've been to numerous forums across a wide spectrum of societal, religious, political persuasions. The common thread in each I've found when encountering resistance about the acknowledgment of the massive spread of pedophilia in our society and the damage it causes, is they will each attack the victim. I've seen this in atheistic forums, liberal forums, conservative forums and even in some Christian forums.
I must say I have not seen it in this forum, at least not overtly. Compassion runs deep here. Here I've witnessed great things. Other forums taught me to sharpen my tongue and show no mercy. This forum taught me the healing power of the Holy Spirit. Each word spoken by Christians has the power to heal or wound. Truth must always be balanced with love.

the just get over it approach has been used towards me (I have gotten stronger in the Lord these past 8 years, but I'm still....high maintenance, lol), and lemme tell you...

it doesn't really "help," usually. pointing someone to The Lord and also pointing out that believers can minister unto each other, but we're generally in no position to bring true deliverance...

-is- helpful. so, I mean...its humility on everybody's part, I guess...enough humility to ask for wisdom and prayer, etc., then enough humility to recognize that each believer is very much -only human- and The Lord is the Great Physician, not any human being.

 

[Christ_empowered]

and...I think actions -do- speak louder than words. I see it in my own parents' reconcilliation with, maybe one day forgiveness of, me....

which is mostly expressed thru -actions- not -words- , much less words coded in psychobabble.

 

[Seasoned by Grace]

This is a test for the changes.

 

[EvolvingChristian]

It's so easy to TALK my faith, but I find it 10 times harder to WALK my faith.

Amen. Me too.

 

[EvolvingChristian]

Are we willing to appear fools before our colleagues, because that is often the result of talking about what Christianity means to you.

Yes, many of my family and friends, who claim to be Christian, are reluctant to speak the truth because they want to conform to and be loved by the world.