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Friday, October 22, 2010

We Are Called To Love. We Are Not Called To Harass.



I am going through something...
CORRECTION:  I am not going through it.
I am witnessing someone I love
very dearly go through it.
It just FEELS like it is happening to me
sometimes.

As a Christian (a follower of Christ and his teachings), I am called to "love others as myself".  He even went so far as to call this the greatest commandment only after putting him first and foremost.  So:
  1. Love God first and most
  2. Love others AT LEAST as much as you love yourself.

Seems simple and straightforward, right?
Love is all we need
Love makes the world go round...
I'm feeling very loving and fluffy now.

It CAN be very straightforward and simple.  But it can also get complicated.  For example, under the "love umbrella" I am called to do some pretty hard, often unpopular things.

Like point out to my fellow Christians when they are sinning or about to sin.

Ouch.  That feels a little like a
picker in my fluffy cotton ball.
I dislike conflict.
But I'm all about the love...

Doing this should never assume or imply that I am sin-less myself, or that I am "better than" anyone.  We quite literally are all equal in God's eyes. 

If you mull that over a bit...
it's a hard pill to swallow.
I want to be SPECIAL!
I want to be MORE special than...
SOMEone...
I feed the poor. 
Surely that makes me
"BETTER THAN"
Someone, right?

So, where do you draw the line?

I'm supposed to point out when my sister in Christ is sinning.  Fine.  I'll do it.  I'll be grudgingly obedient to my Lord and Savior.

But how many times do I point this out?  OnceTwice?  Do I point it out every time I see her commit this sin?  Do I call her in the middle of the night when I have another example/argument/idea about how to MAKE HER STOP this train wreck?  Do I text her this one last time to DRIVE THE POINT HOME?

Does this remind you of any
Christians in your life?
Bible thumpers?
Jesus Freaks?

STOP THE MADNESS!

Here is what I think.  Take it or leave it...or you can comment and pass this along to your friends so someone will actually READ this blog...and we can discuss.
  1. I am to love others as myself.
  2. I am NOT to point out to a non-Christian her sins (that is a whole other rant, my friends)
  3. I AM called to point out the sins of my fellow sisters in Christ
  4. The above point assumes that I have a RELATIONSHIP with said sister that is intimate enough to have any business opening such a discussion in the first place.
  5. IT IS NOT UP TO ME TO SAVE MY FELLOW CHRISTIAN FROM THE SIN!!!
  6. Repeat number 5 while banging your head into a wall because it is THAT IMPORTANT to remember.
  7. Maybe repeat number 4 too...and think about that.  Hard.

My own interpretation of people who continually bring up the same sin over and over again?

visions of rabid pit-bulls
are dancing in my head
now.  So much for
fluffy love.

  1. It is harassment
  2. It demonstrates a complete lack of faith in God
  3. It takes the focus off God and puts it on you.
Just FYI, #3
is a no-no.
To God be the glory
and all that.
(Christian etiquette 101)

Hold on a minute!  Harassment is a pretty strong word to be using, don't you think?  Where do you get off?

Harass:  –verb (used with object)
1.
to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute.
2.
to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.
 
Thank you Webster's Dictionary.  I love you.  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Harass
 
Hey!  Love is a verb too!
Funny.
 
Do you think harassment fits the bill now?  I thought so.
 
Have the discussion.  Then let it go, and let God do what God does.  It is not up to you to stop the sin...it is up to God.  Get out of his way.
 
...and get out of MY way
'cause I'm looking
for the fluffy
love.
Just Amy

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