Yes, We're Supposed to Strive to Be Like Jesus. But Do You Still Look to Other Human Beings for Inspiration?

[seoulsearch]

God does use human examples in my life, but now, I find that they no longer have to be my mentors. God will just put them in my life, set up His example, i learn from their example, and we all move on, everyone still friends without the disappointment.

It's s terrible that you feel God just wants you to get over stuff as if you pain doesn't matter. I'm glad you brought that up. God doesn't have that attitude AT ALL about what you go through inside your heart.

I don't know how to fix that, but from the very beginning of my walk with God, He always wanted to be first in my life, To be what matters most to me, my very best friend foever. And He wants to be that most important person to you and everyone else, to be your very best friend forever.

When i got saved. One of my godliest friends gave me this book. God had ne take notice of her godliness so I did look up to her. (Click on the title for more information about the book.)

Friendship with God

I read it all the way through! It set my attitude about my walk with God from that time on based on His love for me and His desire to have a walk with Him that's based on friendship. ( His Lordship turns out to be important too. I learned this the hard way, unfortunately. )

I never felt God tell me to get over things. He always wanted me to share everything i went through in my heart and that we would fix things together.

This is what I believe He wants for you too. You're not to get over thing yourself! You're to bring everything to Him because He wants to help you work everything out with Him as your very best friend.

So I'll pray for you! If you would like a digital copy of the book, let me
know.


🕊

Thank you so much for your kindness.

 

[faithlife]

Excellent Q @seoulsearch Of course Jeus is our perfect example and He was here to demonstrate God's love and reveal the Kingdom of Heaven. I do have a few preachers I listen to daily. They are in glory now and had fruitful ministries and all solid marriages One of the top two had three 'incurable' diseases and at 15 he was bed-ridden. His grandad had money and had a top surgeon examine the boy. His prognosis was 'there is no hope, you gotta die'. Then the Mayo clinic told the grandad 'if that Dr told you that, then there is no hope'.
He laid there on his bed of affliction, now paralyzed from the upper waist down with only a BIBLE at his side. He started takig God at HIS word and started quoting scripture now KNOWING God/Jesus heals through His promises/Word.
Anyway, a few months later he got up and walked, went on to preach for 70 yrs. He was a praying man and lived by the Word and his insights on our authority in the name of Jesus are...out of this world

 

[Levib]

I always warn people, if we put our trust in people, we are likely to be let down. Understanding that softens the disappointment.

A lot of people say, “everyone wants the see the person at the top fail” because they’re jealous or whatever. In truth, everyone secretly wants them to succeed and when the person fails, everyone loses hope in themselves. I think it is out of disappointment that people begin to attack those that have fallen, because their own hopes are crushed.

There was a time I realized that no one could sympathize with me because no one had experienced what I had. Then the Lord led me to this scripture in Hebrews. Jesus was tempted in every way, He remained sinless and succeeded. The end product is Jesus has compassion on us all the more, I believe because He experienced our personal trials.

Hebrews 4:15-16 KJV
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 5:2 KJV
Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

Matthew 18:33 KJV
Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

 

[Lanolin]

Who do, or who have, you looked up to in your life? Parents, teachers, mentors, people who were there for you when no one else was?
Big Sister, probably the main one, as was born to be! I had a myriad of teachers, and mentors, some had good advice, some could only tell me or teach me what they knew, though a lot of the time I had to figure things out on my own.

* Have they ever done something that disappointed you or let you down, to the point where you weren't sure if you could look up to them anymore?
I can't think of any. If they messed up in personal relationships, it would be only human, people not being perfect. I don't think anyone is perfect except for Jesus. We all have faults and weaknesses and temptations.

* Did you look for someone else to look up to, or did it ensure that you look to no one else but Jesus?
Not really, though in school 'role models' were a big deal, however the designated role models didn't really like that label. It meant they had to set perfect examples, and Lord knows it's impossible to be right ALL the time.

* How have you responded, or how would you respond, if/when people told you it was your own fault for looking up to a mere human being and not Jesus in the first place? (How would you convince your kids to stop looking up to you if this is to be taken literally?)
Uh...I don't put anyone on a pedestal like that. I admire people for what they can accomplish, and do with their lives, but they probably have their personal issues that they don't share with everyone.
In school as an adult looking after children, they naturally do look up to you as an example, but they can also see your weaknesses and you just have to be honest when you having a bad day, or forget to do something, or do something stupid (learn from my mistakes!) Children are a lot smarter than people give them credit for. Many children see their parents do stupid and wrong things and resolve NOT to be like their parents. It's just being honest that nobody is perfectly perfect all the time. We mess up. We are tempted. The important thing is we can be forgiven. And hopefully learn better next time.

 

[Lanolin]

I was thinking in terms of marriages...like faithful couples in church? Well even church leaders can mess up. I think those who were appointed young probably would get tempted, but then again novices should never be put in that position in the first place. If someone is going to be a pastor or overseer etc they are better being elder and having grandchildren and a marriage that has been lasting, rather than what seems to be the case nowadays in these modern churches that appoint a young 'hip' leader who hasn't had the life experience or seasoned family life (or even young leaders with very young children - like why? Why put your children through that and expect them to be the perfect family all the time?)

Doesn't make sense.

In terms of finances. I've read about Christians Against Poverty, not sure how that works, but some churches do budgeting etc and helps, but I didn't go to them I did an actual money management course. Even that assumed you actually HAD some money.
I think that there are some good books that could help in that area, and advice. Not Rich Dad, Poor Dad, or some silly tithing get rich quick MLM.

Just common sense and don't get scammed. Like for example, have your own bank account, learn how to budget when you are young, how to save money, don't go crazy with a credit card (or learn to live without one). Most people are getting by pay check to pay check so don't exactly need help in stretching the dollar, they are already doing that!

It's probably the richer people that should learn not to overspend or waste their riches. There is some wisdom in the Bible about things like forgving debts and loans, and having collateral, but you do have to meditate on it and then apply it. Don't just answer all those begging letters asking for money via direct debit just because it's a charity. You have to beware of scams!

 

[Suze]

Oh no Suze, no need to apologize -- you're understanding the points of this thread perfectly.

I understand that some people don't have the opportunity, or might not be comfortable with the idea of a mentor, and that's fine too. And when I say mentor, I don't specifically always mean people that personally took me under their wing. Some I admire and looked up to as a role model from a distance. I also agree with you regarding not putting anyone on a pedestal. I've been guilty of that several times and predictably, it did not end well.

I am genuinely sorry for the things you have suffered in your life. You seem like such a sweet and caring person, and the things you share on the site are exactly what I look for. When you talk about how you're handling things with your mum, you are teaching people like me how to live out grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love.

I often think the Christian community sabotages itself by being overly spiritual. I go back to the financial example because it's one everyone understands. Christians will tell you God wants to bless you and have peace over your finances, but then can't or won't give anyone a plausible roadmap of how to do this. And if you talk about money woes too long, they'll say you're being materialistic and not relying on God, or accuse you of building up earthly riches rather than heavenly ones.

And I see this in every area of life. I was once in a chat where a young teen was excited about a missions trip he'd just come back from, and was telling us all about it. A woman in her 40's severely chastised the poor kid, telling him he shouldn't be talking about it at all because of "When you do a good deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." (Matthew 6:3)

I know what her intention was, but I am the opposite -- I want to hear about the work others are doing for the kingdom because it informs me of possibilities I might not know about and that God might be calling me to. This young man wasn't coming across as boasting at all -- he was just very passionate about what he had seen God do. I wanted to tell this teen that some of us wanted to hear his stories could all go to another chat room, but this woman had already shot him down so much that he left, and I never saw him back again.

When I speak of mentors, I think of people we look up to in order to show us how things are done. When I came to CC, I was miserable in my single life. And I knew a lot of other miserable singles as well. I didn't really know any other way. But here on CC, I met other singles who were, gasp, HAPPY and content living out their single lives, and I looked to them to teach me how to do the same. I just didn't know how to live that way until I met others who were already doing so, and willing to share their journey.

I think it's like that in most every area of life. Our spiritual beliefs are the backbone of the how to live, so I don't see a division between spiritual and practical. The spiritual guides us in how we are to live out the practical.

This is why I'm always interested in people's life stories. I've been preached at to death all my life -- I want to know how people actually live out what they're preaching.

People can give me all the passages about a certain challenge I'm puzzling over -- but unless they're also willing to give me practical examples to follow from their own lives or observations (so I know they have real experience,) it just doesn't have the full impact of Word + Actions ("Teach me how to do what you're doing.")

There is an old English saying that I love ; we r all of us in the gutter but , some of us r looking at the stars .
I'm not sure if the original author meant it the way I interpret it but , my interpretation is ; we r all living in this ( practical / physical ) world , but some of us r looking to our God .

 

[Lanolin]

I need God in my life.
He's watched me mess up all the time.
Also I learned people in authority can screw you and lie and cheat, I used to trust they wouldn't do those things. But they do.