"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
John 13:34
This may seem an odd connection to make, but I was recently interested in co-dependency relationships verses caring relationships. You may ask yourself is this important, it is not religious, but rather psychological etc.
But I have observed something that always struck me as wrong. The idea is serving God out of duty and not from the heart, where the cost is moaned about constantly and the problems involved in doing so much work. Why there is a connection is because in the world of caring the same thing happens. A carer can burn out with the burden of caring, while another carer is a joy to be with, and is full of energy and empowerment to the one being cared for.
The difference put into attitudes was that of a caretaker of a broken vessel, and a care giver who was empowering another deal with the problems of the day. The caretaker dictates what should or should not be done, and puts in place the rules and boundaries and work which they must carry alone, because the cared for individual is incapable of this, and just needs this endless support, which is never enough.
One real sign of a care giver is they keep themselves well and healthy, knowing their limits and what support they can offer, and respects and desires to enable the cared of individual achieve their needs. The care giver gives out of the fullness of their hearts freely and with joy, knowing their fullness overflows, so are not drained, but give from their excess.
The care givers view is their empowerment will uplift the cared for to a new place, with optimism and reality, not as a burden with an impossible end sucking the life out of them.
Jesus was a care giver, always being careful to focus His efforts from the fullness of His heart, seeking a quiet place to recharge and refocus, to open the door for others, to grow in life and possibilities.
These are powerful differences. One is planting a word that grows into a massive tree, the other is caretaking a wreck knowing it will fall and decay into ruin, but with infinite effort this could maybe temporarily put off. One empowers the cared for person, the other takes away their abilities and puts them as dependent on the caretaker to look after them, to a degree they could not survive without the caretaker.
So I see from this as Jesus is the ultimate care giver, so should we be out of the fullness of our hearts, and find that liberation to share in victory and grace, not defeat and obligation.
God bless you
John 13:34
This may seem an odd connection to make, but I was recently interested in co-dependency relationships verses caring relationships. You may ask yourself is this important, it is not religious, but rather psychological etc.
But I have observed something that always struck me as wrong. The idea is serving God out of duty and not from the heart, where the cost is moaned about constantly and the problems involved in doing so much work. Why there is a connection is because in the world of caring the same thing happens. A carer can burn out with the burden of caring, while another carer is a joy to be with, and is full of energy and empowerment to the one being cared for.
The difference put into attitudes was that of a caretaker of a broken vessel, and a care giver who was empowering another deal with the problems of the day. The caretaker dictates what should or should not be done, and puts in place the rules and boundaries and work which they must carry alone, because the cared for individual is incapable of this, and just needs this endless support, which is never enough.
One real sign of a care giver is they keep themselves well and healthy, knowing their limits and what support they can offer, and respects and desires to enable the cared of individual achieve their needs. The care giver gives out of the fullness of their hearts freely and with joy, knowing their fullness overflows, so are not drained, but give from their excess.
The care givers view is their empowerment will uplift the cared for to a new place, with optimism and reality, not as a burden with an impossible end sucking the life out of them.
Jesus was a care giver, always being careful to focus His efforts from the fullness of His heart, seeking a quiet place to recharge and refocus, to open the door for others, to grow in life and possibilities.
These are powerful differences. One is planting a word that grows into a massive tree, the other is caretaking a wreck knowing it will fall and decay into ruin, but with infinite effort this could maybe temporarily put off. One empowers the cared for person, the other takes away their abilities and puts them as dependent on the caretaker to look after them, to a degree they could not survive without the caretaker.
So I see from this as Jesus is the ultimate care giver, so should we be out of the fullness of our hearts, and find that liberation to share in victory and grace, not defeat and obligation.
God bless you