Friday, September 22, 2006
Consider this. . .
Have you ever heard this? "Christians are the only army that will kick their fellow soldiers when they are down."
It kills me to think about this too long, because I would have to confess that I would be guilty of doing it myself. I would be guilty of getting on a close friends case because she is in a bad place, and I don't have the patience to deal with it. How dare her rain on my parade~right? After all, life is all about "me" isn't it? I would chalk it up to a bad attitude, and even possibly neglect her for a L O N G time. Leave her to "deal" with it herself, and when she is in a better place and can stroke my ego again. . .well, then we can talk.
But then I started thinking about it. What is going on in her life that is causing her (or him) to behave this way. Have I even asked? Even if she treated me poorly, did I love her? Jesus loved the people who spit in His face, and mocked Him, and beat Him, and killed Him. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:34)
Have I cried out for my fellow Christian sister or brother in that way? Or have I rolled my eyes~called them a name~or just not called them at all? Have I been spiritually prideful? This is NOT how I want to live my life for Christ. I want to be set apart from the world. I want to be able to love because HE loved first. The good news is, I have a Savior who forgives therefore, I can ask forgiveness~from Him and from those I have mocked or neglected. Christ humbled Himself on my behalf, and He will give me the strength to humble myself when I need to. How about you?
It kills me to think about this too long, because I would have to confess that I would be guilty of doing it myself. I would be guilty of getting on a close friends case because she is in a bad place, and I don't have the patience to deal with it. How dare her rain on my parade~right? After all, life is all about "me" isn't it? I would chalk it up to a bad attitude, and even possibly neglect her for a L O N G time. Leave her to "deal" with it herself, and when she is in a better place and can stroke my ego again. . .well, then we can talk.
But then I started thinking about it. What is going on in her life that is causing her (or him) to behave this way. Have I even asked? Even if she treated me poorly, did I love her? Jesus loved the people who spit in His face, and mocked Him, and beat Him, and killed Him. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:34)
Have I cried out for my fellow Christian sister or brother in that way? Or have I rolled my eyes~called them a name~or just not called them at all? Have I been spiritually prideful? This is NOT how I want to live my life for Christ. I want to be set apart from the world. I want to be able to love because HE loved first. The good news is, I have a Savior who forgives therefore, I can ask forgiveness~from Him and from those I have mocked or neglected. Christ humbled Himself on my behalf, and He will give me the strength to humble myself when I need to. How about you?
