I am up to here with negative attitudes in Christians
- Thread starter PeterJens
- Start date
-
Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.
If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!
To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
BOOM! Exactly.
There's a reason why the bible instructs us to remove the LOG from our own eye before with bother with the SPECK in another's eye.
A goodly amount of the "negativity" found amongst Christians could be easily solved if people would just mind their own beeswax. Walking around trying to the the "picture straightener" of humanity, or the gatekeeper of morality, or the corrector of all wrongs basically sets a person up to be crabby and frustrated all the time.
It also diverts them from sorting out their own chaos.
It also gives them delusions of godhood.
The more I learn about myself, the more I realize how desperately I need a Savior. And the more I realize my own need for a Savior, the greater compassion I have for others who are struggling and need a Savior.
We are all dependent on grace and the effectual work of the Holy Spirit within us. If Jesus's sacrifice on the cross was powerful enough to break the back of sin and death, why don't we lean more into the Holy Spirit and less into our own understanding? Why not simply pray for people who seem entrapped/stubborn/resistant/lost, etc.? I know that the Holy Spirit is far more capable than I at opening someone's eyes and extricating them from sin.
There's a reason why the bible instructs us to remove the LOG from our own eye before with bother with the SPECK in another's eye.
A goodly amount of the "negativity" found amongst Christians could be easily solved if people would just mind their own beeswax. Walking around trying to the the "picture straightener" of humanity, or the gatekeeper of morality, or the corrector of all wrongs basically sets a person up to be crabby and frustrated all the time.
It also diverts them from sorting out their own chaos.
It also gives them delusions of godhood.
The more I learn about myself, the more I realize how desperately I need a Savior. And the more I realize my own need for a Savior, the greater compassion I have for others who are struggling and need a Savior.
We are all dependent on grace and the effectual work of the Holy Spirit within us. If Jesus's sacrifice on the cross was powerful enough to break the back of sin and death, why don't we lean more into the Holy Spirit and less into our own understanding? Why not simply pray for people who seem entrapped/stubborn/resistant/lost, etc.? I know that the Holy Spirit is far more capable than I at opening someone's eyes and extricating them from sin.
It is an interesting question. Did Lazarus die in his sins? His sisters believed in Jesus; no doubt Lazarus did too, though the resurrection had not yet occurred. But the question of why Jesus wept... said to be (by some accounts) the shortest passage in the whole Bible... Jesus knew He could raise Lazarus from death, so I don't think He wept for the death of His friend. In fact, Jesus tarried when He got the news that Lazarus was ailing. I wonder if He wept in empathetic compassion at the sadness of those He loved.
Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Sonof God may be glorified through it."
... Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.
"And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him."
Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Sonof God may be glorified through it."
... Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.
"And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him."
I think this is very true. There is something else I see here. Jesus waits for his friend to be dead. Properly dead. He knows this is a demonstration of Jesus's authority over life and death, so that his death is understood as a true sacrifice, a giving up of his rights, not a defeat.
So he visits his friends. They are all truly grieving at the death of their friend. But still they do not see that Jesus is God made man. The pharisees are cynically watching over the events to see what the "fake" prophet will do. Everyone is sure he is a healer, but raising anyone from the dead, nope.
After all his efforts, his patience, still he knows here is a defeated, bowed people, with little focus on reality and freedom in the power of God. All these ingredients would be there in a weeks time, but he would be the one in the tomb, and it would be the Father who called Him out. Now that is truly an emotional overload. Look forward a week to Gethsemane and still the true burden is very hard to bare. In another sense also this place is very, very alone, even in the midst of friends.
So he visits his friends. They are all truly grieving at the death of their friend. But still they do not see that Jesus is God made man. The pharisees are cynically watching over the events to see what the "fake" prophet will do. Everyone is sure he is a healer, but raising anyone from the dead, nope.
After all his efforts, his patience, still he knows here is a defeated, bowed people, with little focus on reality and freedom in the power of God. All these ingredients would be there in a weeks time, but he would be the one in the tomb, and it would be the Father who called Him out. Now that is truly an emotional overload. Look forward a week to Gethsemane and still the true burden is very hard to bare. In another sense also this place is very, very alone, even in the midst of friends.
Everything around us is negative. I have contended, as you well know, even churchianity. But I also learned to take it all to God every day. Casting all that is wrong on to Him. We can't shoulder it all. In Him alone can you stay out of the pit of negativity. Just knowing that God is working a work beyond our own eyesight. So even the negative is used by Him to work eternal things.
All things work together for good. He's telling us 'Stay the course'! Keep our eyes staid on him. That keeps us in perfect peace! In His grip. Praise Him.
All things work together for good. He's telling us 'Stay the course'! Keep our eyes staid on him. That keeps us in perfect peace! In His grip. Praise Him.
You know, I don't believe that everything around us is negative. I also don't believe that negative people or circumstances are the root of the problem.
The problem is that we'd rather have our own way than God's. This applies equally to positive and negative circumstances. How many of us have observed that when life is good and people are fat-cattin' it around, the underlying attitude is often, "I can handle life this way. I don't need God." It's only when life becomes challenging that certain people will realize their own limitations and seek after God.
Even in EDEN a perfect circumstance, humanity preferred its own way over God's.
Ultimately, it's about seeking and serving God regardless of circumstance.
The problem is that we'd rather have our own way than God's. This applies equally to positive and negative circumstances. How many of us have observed that when life is good and people are fat-cattin' it around, the underlying attitude is often, "I can handle life this way. I don't need God." It's only when life becomes challenging that certain people will realize their own limitations and seek after God.
Even in EDEN a perfect circumstance, humanity preferred its own way over God's.
Ultimately, it's about seeking and serving God regardless of circumstance.
Yes, and sincerely accepting all of His word into our lives rather that just those parts we want, and those parts that we desire to interpret into our own way of thinking. God's word always complements itself with no contradiction. If we think we see a contradiction in God's word, telling us this or that doesn't apply to us, we have it wrong, not our God Almighty.
