That one too? aww come on!
Yesterday the message was about loving your enemies. I truthfully don't do this one well, I am better at the "ignore them and hope they go away" approach.
The truth is we not only all have enemies of some sort, but we have two kinds. We have active and passive enemies.
Active enemies are the ones that are flagrantly against you such as a petty coworker, the bully that picks on you in school, or even the guy in the other lane giving you the finger because you are reading this blog on your laptop instead of watching the road.
Passive enemies are much harder to find or even identify, this is because they don't really do anything intentionally (or if they do, you can't prove it.) This could be the guy that when you see his car in the parking lot makes you wince, the person you roll your eyes at if the number comes up on the caller ID, and even your own family member that you only see on holidays (you know...because you just have a problem talking to each other or something.)
Active or passive can be divided up on the blog, but they are all the same with Jesus. So lets clear a few things up before cutting to the pointers. Saying I dislike that person but I love them is a pretty good catch all, but it is usually utterly full of crap, especially if you feel that way for about twenty years without changing. Avoidance is also not the answer because if you avoid going places so you don't run into people there, soon you will run out of places to go to. When you do run into that person all those old stifled feelings will come flooding back. So now that we got that out of the way, let me see if I can actually give you something to work with.
Realize your own debt and shortcomings. Oh! That is not a fun one by any means, but it is important anyway. Most of the things that drive us insane with other people are usually things that we don't do well ourselves. I hate it when people are late and make me wait, and I am always late myself.
As for debt and shortcomings, looking inside your own heart long enough will reveal a lot of things you wish you didn't do or couldn't remember. Ok, now that we have done that, let us stop before we get carried away. Whew....I am glad that no one else knows that stuff.
Well God does actually. Sorry that makes me uncomfortable too, and I promise to move on soon. What if every dark thought or action you ever did in secret was printed up in a local newspaper and read by the people that you directed the thought or action to? I know, it's scary. Now for the good news, God already knows about them (He does wear big ear plugs and a blindfold) but he still loves you with all his heart and wants to be close to you.
Yes, he really does. Even though he knows about that terrible lie you said back in 19- so and so. Realizing this is the key to loving and forgiving other people, because you realize that you yourself need to be loved and forgiven.
Pray and do good for your enemies. This is going to be hard, even harder than the last one. I am not that delusional to think that this easy.
Most of our state of mind and our perception of enemies (at least for passive ones) is under our own control. What? Yes, it's true! If I have a bad start in the morning my whole day stinks. Your outlook controls most of your day.
When you do good and pray for your enemies, it does a few things that are extremely powerful.
When you do good and pray for someone and do it long enough you will find that your attitude towards that person will begin to change for the better. It is hard to hate someone that you are praying for on a regular basis, prayer doesn't just overcome the enemy outside, but the enemy within. If you do good for someone when you don't feel like it, eventually you will feel like it. Neither of these are in an instant usually, but will lead you on the road to recovery.
The second thing these things do is that it might change the heart of the enemy towards you as well. To get Biblical about it, you are pouring hot coals on their head. I prefer the term though that you don't overcome evil with evil, you overcome evil with good. This might not happen in a way that you will always see, but people have a problem trying to hate people that are good to them.
Finally doing good and praying for your enemies is good for yourself. Like unforgiveness, to despise your enemies does you more harm instead of them. Doing these things will break their power and control over you. Stop harming yourself and opening old wounds, and work towards healing them. If you are like me you tried the anger and hating thing before, and it doesn't work.
Now don't just sit there and read blogs, go out and apply it.
The truth is we not only all have enemies of some sort, but we have two kinds. We have active and passive enemies.
Active enemies are the ones that are flagrantly against you such as a petty coworker, the bully that picks on you in school, or even the guy in the other lane giving you the finger because you are reading this blog on your laptop instead of watching the road.
Passive enemies are much harder to find or even identify, this is because they don't really do anything intentionally (or if they do, you can't prove it.) This could be the guy that when you see his car in the parking lot makes you wince, the person you roll your eyes at if the number comes up on the caller ID, and even your own family member that you only see on holidays (you know...because you just have a problem talking to each other or something.)
Active or passive can be divided up on the blog, but they are all the same with Jesus. So lets clear a few things up before cutting to the pointers. Saying I dislike that person but I love them is a pretty good catch all, but it is usually utterly full of crap, especially if you feel that way for about twenty years without changing. Avoidance is also not the answer because if you avoid going places so you don't run into people there, soon you will run out of places to go to. When you do run into that person all those old stifled feelings will come flooding back. So now that we got that out of the way, let me see if I can actually give you something to work with.
Realize your own debt and shortcomings. Oh! That is not a fun one by any means, but it is important anyway. Most of the things that drive us insane with other people are usually things that we don't do well ourselves. I hate it when people are late and make me wait, and I am always late myself.
As for debt and shortcomings, looking inside your own heart long enough will reveal a lot of things you wish you didn't do or couldn't remember. Ok, now that we have done that, let us stop before we get carried away. Whew....I am glad that no one else knows that stuff.
Well God does actually. Sorry that makes me uncomfortable too, and I promise to move on soon. What if every dark thought or action you ever did in secret was printed up in a local newspaper and read by the people that you directed the thought or action to? I know, it's scary. Now for the good news, God already knows about them (He does wear big ear plugs and a blindfold) but he still loves you with all his heart and wants to be close to you.
Yes, he really does. Even though he knows about that terrible lie you said back in 19- so and so. Realizing this is the key to loving and forgiving other people, because you realize that you yourself need to be loved and forgiven.
Pray and do good for your enemies. This is going to be hard, even harder than the last one. I am not that delusional to think that this easy.
Most of our state of mind and our perception of enemies (at least for passive ones) is under our own control. What? Yes, it's true! If I have a bad start in the morning my whole day stinks. Your outlook controls most of your day.
When you do good and pray for your enemies, it does a few things that are extremely powerful.
When you do good and pray for someone and do it long enough you will find that your attitude towards that person will begin to change for the better. It is hard to hate someone that you are praying for on a regular basis, prayer doesn't just overcome the enemy outside, but the enemy within. If you do good for someone when you don't feel like it, eventually you will feel like it. Neither of these are in an instant usually, but will lead you on the road to recovery.
The second thing these things do is that it might change the heart of the enemy towards you as well. To get Biblical about it, you are pouring hot coals on their head. I prefer the term though that you don't overcome evil with evil, you overcome evil with good. This might not happen in a way that you will always see, but people have a problem trying to hate people that are good to them.
Finally doing good and praying for your enemies is good for yourself. Like unforgiveness, to despise your enemies does you more harm instead of them. Doing these things will break their power and control over you. Stop harming yourself and opening old wounds, and work towards healing them. If you are like me you tried the anger and hating thing before, and it doesn't work.
Now don't just sit there and read blogs, go out and apply it.
Labels: faith, rants, social tripe
posted by Janus Torrell at 11:54 AM
4 Comments:
You are just trying to scare me now - right?
OK already, I agree... OK?!
afc
yes, it is my duty to frighten my readers cat..>:I Glad ya agree though and thanks for visiting :D
Janus - Hmmmm, tis no wonder the Lord closes his eyes.
Peace,
- Neo
Indeed Neo, it is a good thing the Lord is not nearly as petty as me or we would all be in trouble.
Post a Comment
<< Home