It is my nature to attack when I feel attacked. We are to show the Love of Christ to everyone. I know this, I have said this, but to be honest there is a limit.
I and someone who is special to me are dealing with this issue and I wish to share what God showed me. Yes, it is a reproach, but one that God has reproached me with as of late. I allowed to actions of others to affect my actions and this is wrong. I am guilty of this.
Romans 12:
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.
20 "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Now I have asked myself in the past why God never took up my revenge against those who have hurt me. I have learned to forgive and not judge those who hurt me, but the question of why He never fulfilled His promise to me had never been answered. Now it has.
I never gave Him the chance!! I took my revenge in everyway I could. That and I have to be right with God in order for Him to take up my revenge. This does not mean being right with God UNTIL I get hurt, this means STAY right with Him.
Being right and then going down the wrong path, nulifies the promise.
I know that this is a hard thing to do and I myself am not perfect in this, far from it. I believe in doing the best that I can, but and this is a big but, God promised that He would not allow us to carry more than we can handle. In other words, if my best is not working then I need to work harder. This does not mean that we will never sin again, it only means that He made it possible to be perfect and if we fail, we fail on our own.
1 Cor 10:
10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
Gal 6:
Galatians 6:1-10
1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
5 For each one will bear his own load.
6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Part of the problem is that in cyber space, it is so easy to set ourselves up to feel "important" and in doing so we become too vain to ask for help when we need others to help. Anything that is shown as an imperfection will "lower" our standing. This ought not be this way. As Christians we should yell out when we need help, apologize when we are wrong, encourage those who need support, love everyone, especially those who are God's. It is easier to encourage others than it is to show our own imperfections. BUt if we do not show our imperfections how will we ever get the help or support we need.
Refusing to admit when we are wrong hurts us as well as those we wronged.
There is so much more I wish to say, but as it looks as if I have already written a book, I must sum this up.
My points were?
1. Bless those who hurt you, let God take up the rest.
2. Let others encourage you when you fail
3. If another Christian fails, help them in gentleness, not judgement
4. Help one another by carrying their loads or problems
5. Admit when we are wrong
6. DO not think more highly of ourselves. Remember, those who are servants in this life, will be the masters in the next.
7. Do not attack those who attack you, but rather bless them.
One more thing that God was saying to me last night after I went to bed. We need to avoid those people and places where we know that a conflict can and will arise.
I had started posting in a forum where I myself had conflict before. I went to bed feeling a "spiritual unrest". Don't know how else to put it. This place allows conflict. I am not talking about simply debating the issues, but rather they allow members to insult eachother. Especially, non christians to insult christians.
I can no longer go there, because I am not strong enough to put up with being insulted, again and again, and not insult back. That would fall under the "watch that you do not sin" catagory. If we put ourselves into a position where we know that we will sin, then we ought not go there.
As we are only able to control our actions and not the actions of others, we must watch ourselves that we do not sin.
Gal 6
1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
posted by Star @ 1:37 PM
