Do Parents and Married People Get Told By Others to "Get a Life"?

[seoulsearch]

From the other side of the coin... Do you ever catch yourself putting other people down as if they don't really have a life? Do you ever disparage people for having a lesser job than yours? What about doing a lesser job than you do?

Personally sometimes I have to be careful. Sometimes people at my job are just lazy, and sometimes they really cannot move as fast as other people. I have to watch it or I will start criticizing them when they are honestly doing the best they can.

I've noticed along the road of life that many have a propensity to rack and stack people with themselves always at or near the top. That's the basis for a lot of prejudices. As Believers, we're more likely not to place ourselves above others as we develop the heart of a servant, but still... it happens (we're not perfect).

I have also noticed this tendency, in others and in myself, and I think it is the root cause of all the judgmental attitudes. Everybody wants to feel good about themselves. It stinks, it causes a lot of junk, but I understand the urge to do it all too well.

Thank you, gentlemen, for bringing up these points.

I was raised in a church where everyone who wasn't part of a nuclear family (with at least 4 children) was pretty much seen as a moral and spiritual failure (at least that's how it always felt to me.)

Single parents and those divorced were tolerated in minute numbers but whispered about. I still remember the classmate whose single mom was said by the other women to "have a revolving door in her house for men." Since I was just a kid, I was thinking to myself, "How could they fit a whole revolving door in the side of their house?!" I also saw it as kind of a carnival ride and thought it might be fun.

I have no idea if it was true or not, but this is what was being said at potlucks and such.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, single people were expected to marry and working on producing several children right away. Anyone around say, 24 (the perfect age to have become a synod teacher -- more grace and time was given to young men seeking to be pastors) was seen as being fatally flawed.

People who didn't become denominational pastors or teachers were also considered much lesser in the spiritual hierarchy. Business people were recruited for financial giving but never listened to when it came to sticking to a budget or getting/staying out of debt.

As an adult, I came to despise the attitudes I grew up not just hearing or seeing, but feeling to the core as I was learning the pecking order myself.

One of my lifetime goals is to try to ask God to hopefully eradicate as much of this from myself as possible. But as could be expected, I picked up my own collection of biases along the way, and have to ask God to work on those as well.

Thank you for this reminder that it's an ever-present self-awareness we all must maintain.

 

[Cameron143]

Hi Cameron,

I appreciate the sound spiritual reminder. I always admire your unshakeable faith.

I have to admit to slightly envying anyone who has truly learned to be content in every situation due knowing that their true life is with Jesus.

Right now I have to admit to struggling in my faith. I was always taught about how wonderful heaven would be, how there will be no more tears, poverty, and sickness, and how everything would be perfect "when we are with Jesus."

So I grew up thinking, "Why wouldn't everyone want to get to Jesus as soon as possible?"

I have some people in my life who are facing what seems like insurmountable challenges. And sometimes there is a thought that dying immediately would be ideal, because we would finally be "with Jesus." We are trying, but struggling, to find that rest with the Lord we are promised. I know it's there somewhere.

Thank you for all the spiritual encouragement you post on the site. Some of us are a bit lagging behind in our journey, but it's always good to have fellow believers reminding us of The Way.

I appreciate the kind words, but there are no super Christians; only those who walk by faith and those who don't. I do challenge you the next time circumstances seem unpleasant to you to pray and rather than looking for a way out to look for where Jesus joins in. Your entire outlook will be altered. Instead of looking for an end of your problems, you will be looking for the manifestation of God. Your circumstances become a door to an encounter with God. This is what God created you for...this is eternal life, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent...

 

[Lynx]

I appreciate the kind words, but there are no super Christians; only those who walk by faith and those who don't. I do challenge you the next time circumstances seem unpleasant to you to pray and rather than looking for a way out to look for where Jesus joins in. Your entire outlook will be altered. Instead of looking for an end of your problems, you will be looking for the manifestation of God. Your circumstances become a door to an encounter with God. This is what God created you for...this is eternal life, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent...

Oh believe me... Challenging her has been well covered. There is no need to further challenge her to do anything. It has been thoroughly taken care of.