Can we only see the good in people? Should we?
- Thread starter RedTent
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So well expressed, Pickles, and rounds out what we are to do. To use these thoughts with the woman I am trying to help, I am not to get stuck in judging her, but focus on her as a child of God. i am to see her through the eyes of Christ, not as her judge which is God's place, but as a younger sister of mine. That way I am free to love and maybe lead.
To use this with people who reject any idea of being a child of God with us, we are just to let them be, protect ourselves as best we can from them, but always know they were created to be God's children. We are to let God deal with them, but be open to letting God use us to help them. This way, we don't allow abusive husbands to harm us emtionally or physically, we get away from them, but don't judge them, either. We let God do that.
Is that in line with how you think God wants us to do?
To use this with people who reject any idea of being a child of God with us, we are just to let them be, protect ourselves as best we can from them, but always know they were created to be God's children. We are to let God deal with them, but be open to letting God use us to help them. This way, we don't allow abusive husbands to harm us emtionally or physically, we get away from them, but don't judge them, either. We let God do that.
Is that in line with how you think God wants us to do?
Regardless REDTENT, it is a sticky situation, I think God is leading you, to show her the road to inner-dependance depending on God through the Love that God has spread in your heart, yet discern between worldly Love which usually is Emotion in the way and God's love which does not put aside reality of any situation. If abuse, physical and emotional is going on for a control issue yes She needs help, but also needs the Law for protection in this case and this is what the Law is in place for the Law breakers. Law is fulfilled in Christ for the beleiver not to be taken advantage of or used for ones own advantage for protection from the law breakers.
Bottom line when you do talk to her trust God the Holy Ghost in you the hidden God in your heart to give you the right words at the right time and she will get from God what she needs to hear, to your surprise as well. All we ever do is plant and water and it is always God that gives the increase
Bottom line when you do talk to her trust God the Holy Ghost in you the hidden God in your heart to give you the right words at the right time and she will get from God what she needs to hear, to your surprise as well. All we ever do is plant and water and it is always God that gives the increase
I admit I haven't read every post but my take on this is simply that people (adults, children and even animals) generally respond better to praise than condemnation. There is a time to correct and to tell someone to pull their socks up but if you are constantly nit picking it will just leave the person disheartened and wondering if they are ever going to be good enough. It is much more likely to hinder their journey with God than to help it. So use the example God has set us and show her love and grace with the odd guiding word if required.
there are indeed times for everything, times to warn, and times to exhort, we just gotta listen to what GOD sees on the desired action should be. Its not bad to be persimistic but persisism should have self control. so its more about letting GOD talk to people through our words,
in a certain service, men were slacking in praising GOD when i felt this anger in my heart on the situation. and GOD spoke through with righteous anger and things changed in the service. and a brother of mine indeed told me that he felt God speaking through me concerning the situation.
so yeah it all goes back to, whoever is led by the Holy Spirit is the son/daughter of GOD.
in a certain service, men were slacking in praising GOD when i felt this anger in my heart on the situation. and GOD spoke through with righteous anger and things changed in the service. and a brother of mine indeed told me that he felt God speaking through me concerning the situation.
so yeah it all goes back to, whoever is led by the Holy Spirit is the son/daughter of GOD.
You say you try and fail, and this woman is seeking God, but still in wilful sin??
She needs to repent and seek the mercy of God, not you telling her all is well, God understands her failures, which to you might mean drunkeness, fornication, worldliness, etc,,,
Jas 4:7
Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, double-minded ones.
Jas 4:9
Be afflicted, and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10
Be humbled before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
These verses are not suggestions, and the God I serve and obey wants none to perish but all to come to repentance, but is this repentance gradual, or over time as many believe, where you will still commit fornication, less, or get drunk less, but God understands when in His word He clearly says:
Psa 37:27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
Psa 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psa 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
She needs to repent and seek the mercy of God, not you telling her all is well, God understands her failures, which to you might mean drunkeness, fornication, worldliness, etc,,,
Jas 4:7
Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, double-minded ones.
Jas 4:9
Be afflicted, and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10
Be humbled before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
These verses are not suggestions, and the God I serve and obey wants none to perish but all to come to repentance, but is this repentance gradual, or over time as many believe, where you will still commit fornication, less, or get drunk less, but God understands when in His word He clearly says:
Psa 37:27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
Psa 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psa 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
T
Seeing the good is not the same as declaring what is evil to be good.
God gives life to the dead and calls that which is not as though it were. He spoke "light" into the darkness. Not immediately, but in the course of a day's work, God's word prevailed. There was a period of time - long enough to be called a work day in the mother of all work weeks - when the present reality was darkness, though God's word had declared light.
We live in just such a period of time today. God's word has declared the saints to be holy. We have been justified - declared innocent of all wrongdoing and worthy of the righteousness of Christ. Yet the daily reality shows one thing though God's Word has declared something different. Will we live according to the reality that besets us, or lift our hearts to believe what God has spoken? We live by faith, not by sight.
We have one hope - the hope of holiness, the hope of being like Jesus, the hope of his presence. Hope is not a present possession but a future expectation. Our hope is not "maybe" but rather secure and steadfast. Our hope anchors our soul. If we live by faith, we can lift our eyes above the dirty historical reality into the realm of the eternal reality of human holiness.
We ought to have this perspective - the sure hope of eternal holiness - both for ourselves and for others. We ought to maintain our hope, sure and steadfast, above all the sin in the world. We ought Never to declare evil good. We ought not be indifferent to the suffering caused by evil - be that our own or other people's. We ought to declare to be truth was God has declares despite the illusion of the present reality. Our "real" nature is not the one revealed by sin, but the one revealed by Christ - true for me and my brothers.
God gives life to the dead and calls that which is not as though it were. He spoke "light" into the darkness. Not immediately, but in the course of a day's work, God's word prevailed. There was a period of time - long enough to be called a work day in the mother of all work weeks - when the present reality was darkness, though God's word had declared light.
We live in just such a period of time today. God's word has declared the saints to be holy. We have been justified - declared innocent of all wrongdoing and worthy of the righteousness of Christ. Yet the daily reality shows one thing though God's Word has declared something different. Will we live according to the reality that besets us, or lift our hearts to believe what God has spoken? We live by faith, not by sight.
We have one hope - the hope of holiness, the hope of being like Jesus, the hope of his presence. Hope is not a present possession but a future expectation. Our hope is not "maybe" but rather secure and steadfast. Our hope anchors our soul. If we live by faith, we can lift our eyes above the dirty historical reality into the realm of the eternal reality of human holiness.
We ought to have this perspective - the sure hope of eternal holiness - both for ourselves and for others. We ought to maintain our hope, sure and steadfast, above all the sin in the world. We ought Never to declare evil good. We ought not be indifferent to the suffering caused by evil - be that our own or other people's. We ought to declare to be truth was God has declares despite the illusion of the present reality. Our "real" nature is not the one revealed by sin, but the one revealed by Christ - true for me and my brothers.