Link to image this link dovetails very nicely with
this topic, be sure to check it out :)
See "The Ethical Will of Eleazar of Mayence" (Part 1)
and "The Ethical Will of Eleazar of Mayence" (Part 2)
This next part is something I'm currently having a huge struggle with, and the Lord has been very graciously working on me about it:
Excerpt from my (previously mentioned) book:
"I earnestly beg my children to be tolerant and humble to all, as I was throughout my life. Should cause for dissension arise, be slow to accept the quarrel. Seek peace and pursue it with all the vigor at your command. Even if you suffer loss thereby, forbear and forgive, for God has many ways of feeding and sustaining His creatures. To the slanderer do not retaliate with counter-attack; and though it be proper to rebut false accusations, yet is it most desirable to set an example of reticence. You yourselves must avoid uttering any slander, for so will you win affection. In trade be honest, never grasping at what belongs to another. For by avoing these wrongs--scandal, falsehood, money-grubbing--men will surely find tranquility and affection. And against all evils, silence is the best safeguard."
This portion: Even if you suffer loss thereby, forbear and forgive, for God has many ways of feeding and sustaining His creatures. Is something that God has been impressing on my resisting heart lately as something I need to understand and trust that it isn't as serious as I'm making it, and that I need to be at peace and trust Him with everything. I still want to take things into my own hands and right all the wrongs (perceived and true) in my life, instead of watching and praying.
And against all evils, silence is the best safeguard. I have such a tough time with that one. Remember the saying: "Evil triumphs when good men say nothing"??? sigh. It goes so contrary to what I think I must do (i.e. yell at wrongdoers at the top of my lungs so they will be embarrassed for their wrongdoing and repent from their evil ways, sheesh). Yeah, ok, that hasn't worked yet...there's another saying:
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein
I love this. Hubby and I were just talking about this last night in reference to people picketing gay parades and such. He said we should be loving them instead. I agree:)
ReplyDeleteThey KNOW deep down all the things that are being screamed at them, and just down right love would go so much farther. NOT that we say "anything goes" but only God can convict, heal, and save.
The same goes with our enemies, if we could truly love them....wow what a difference we could make!
"wow what a difference we could make"
DeleteSo true! We are supposed to be "light" and "salt", and if our salt has lost it's savor, if we are simply echoing the kind of wisdom and justice that the world says we have a right to, then wherewith shall it be salted? Salt was a preservative. Also, it helps with stopping bleeding.
Check out #4 in this link:
http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Bleeding-Gums,-Gingivitis,-Periodontitis
and this home remedy:
http://www.chacha.com/question/does-salt-stop-bleeding
Jesus does not help us nor does He heal us through screaming at us. There is "another one" that screams at us, and it isn't Jesus.
Oh, and I forgot to say that loving someone is not the same as saying "anything goes", I agree with that, so often we think (me included) that if I want to love a person that is in the wrong, I have to keep making sure they understand how much I think their position is evil...sigh. Banging someone over the head with that information is not helpful, and might even be counter-productive.
DeleteIt can be very difficult to know how to confront sin in a particular situation. There are many situations in which it may be ineffective simply to call someone out for a sin, and in some of these situations it may be more effective for us to hold our tongues, but in some of these situations it seems we have a moral obligation to speak out regardless of the consequences. For example, if we see someone harming themselves with drugs or pornography, then it probably won't be very effective simply to criticize their behavior, and we will probably need to take a subtler approach. At the same time, a foreign dictator that commits human rights abuses might not be swayed by any criticism, but I think that criticism is still appropriate, or even obligatory. What distinguishes these cases? I don't know, but it might have something to do with the fact that we might be able to do something to help the person in the first example, and that simply criticizing the person for his/her actions might thwart our ability to do this, while in the second example there is probably nothing at all that we can do but pray. Anyway, I am reminded of the fact that while many Christians today are comfortable criticizing sinners from a distance, Jesus dined with them and hung out with them. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, so to speak, and he often called people out of sin in the context of a personal relationship He had developed with them. I think that too many Christians today are afraid of making friends with various kinds of sinners. But Jesus wasn't afraid to spend time with anyone. What a Great Savior!
DeleteHi Leslie,
DeleteWelcome back! Nice to "see" you :)
What to say, and when to say it....indeed wisdom is needed to do or not do, wisdom that is way beyond me.
Luk 12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
Luk 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
I rely on the above verses for any difficult situation, not just for being hauled in to court. I know that nothing is too small or minor for the Lord's help, in fact I think He desires for us to seek Him out for His divine intervention, not the "genie in the bottle" types of granting of gifts, but in the tasks that require special care, or in other things/situations that are important to us.
I know we disagree on the topic of homosexual behavior, but someone very close to me recently lost his "partner". Although he knows that I find that "lifestyle" sinful and evil, I still look at the portion of "losing a loved one" the same. What to say? I prayed for wisdom and preparation, and later had the chance to explain things about the difficulty that I have with what to say to him. He seemed receptive to what I said to him. He said to me "Regardless of what you believe, don't hate, never hate." to which I replied "It was never about hate, I never hated you. I see the world going "to hell in a hand basket" and thought I had to do whatever I could to say the things that I thought would prevent that from happening. It isn't about hate, it is about the responsibility to speak up about what needs to be said even if it is unpopular to do so, and will get me hated."
Anyway, I wouldn't have been able to say what I did if I hadn't prayed for Jesus to prepare the way and prepare his heart to hear me out. We were able to talk about this in a rational and respectful manner, and although we are still on opposite sides of this issue, I pray that the Lord will help him in His time, to bring the seeds He sowed...He promised His words would never return to Him empty. :)
Susan, I am deeply touched by how graciously you responded to your friend's loss. I have many friends who share your views on homosexuality and who respond to homosexuality in the same gracious way that you do. Many of them are Reformed Christians with a very high view of Scripture. Indeed, many of them are inerrantists. And, though we disagree on this issue, I cherish these friends as much as I cherish any of my friends. And I have learned a lot from them about the Bible and God. It really upsets me that the liberal media paints all Christians with the same brush. In particular, it upsets me that the liberal media portrays all conservatives who disapprove of Christianity as hateful. We both know that this is not at all true. There is so much diversity among Christians, even conservative Christians. And yes, in many ways I consider myself a conservative Christian. Anyway, I just want you to know that I have greatly enjoyed reading your blog, and that I consider you a friend.
DeleteI just wanted to add that while I do have liberal views on homosexuality, I am pretty conservative when it comes to sexual morality. For example, I am opposed to pornography, which I think does real harm both to those who produce it and those who consume it. Furthermore, I am alarmed by the amount of sexual content in popular media today. Television, music, magazines - they are all full of sex. I think that this is bad for adults, but it is definitely bad for children. Why doesn't the Christian community try to reign in some of this? There are lots and lots of Christians in this country. It may be impossible to do much about movies, but surely we could help to improve the quality of primetime television. Why don't we do it? Sadly, I am afraid that many Christians are not bothered by such content, and even enjoy it. I have to say, I am scared by the idea of raising children in this society. Every time a child watches television or opens a magazine, they are bombarded with some pretty awful messages about sex. Ugh.
DeleteNo "cookie cutter Christians" here, lol. I personally think we are all wrong about SOMETHING, and that Jesus is the only one who has all the facts straight (no pun intended).
Delete;)
Amen to that Susan.
DeleteSusan, please post again soon!
Delete