I finally went to the gym this morning after being on hiatus for about a month due to the trip back to Toronto and then it was Thanksgiving and then i got sick. I picked up listening to a Mars Hill sermon on 1 Peter 4:12-19. Here's verse 19:
"So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. " 1 Peter 4:19
I wouldn't say I'm the best relationship person out there. I don't always know how to handle tough relational situations, and more often than I'd like, I'm terrible at keeping in touch and dear friends can get lost to distance, changes in life stages, or plain 'ol laziness.
But there's also a side of me that gets anxious when friends are lost because I've let someone down, or when I've unintentionally hurt someone and they pull away. I'm human with poor judgements and I make mistakes. I can say inappropriate things and offend someone, or maybe someone gets upset with me for reasons that are beyond me. These things happen from time to time and each time that it happens, I get pretty stressed out about it. I start to play situations or conversations over in my mind. I lie in bed unable to sleep because I try to think of new ways to fix the broken friendship. I come up with words I'd like to say to the other person.
Sometimes, friends are lost because of what I believe and what my value system is. I value friends and people in my life but I also value my beliefs in Jesus. If i had to choose one, I pick Jesus. And today's podcast reminded me that when I make that choice, I will experience suffering in the name of Christ and by God's will. However, I'm also reminded that I should rejoice because in this, i am participating in the sufferings of Christ.
This is something i really struggle with because I'm a people pleaser. So it's difficult to understand and accept and seek out peace and joy in the fact that sometimes when i pursue God's will, it will mean that people will dislike me, will reject me, will not understand, will tell me that in fact I am opposing God's will. If i let that rejection from other people change who i am, what i believe, what words i say, what actions i take, then I've now become a worshipper of other people.
So, am i perfect person? no, of course not. but I do my best to stick to my values and sometimes that means making some difficult relational choices. I commit myself to my faithful Creator and continue to do good - as best I know while continuing to seek out God's perfect will
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1 comment:
I'm a stranger to you, but I really love your heart here. You seem like a very godly woman and we need people with such a zealous heart but I would like to propose a different perspective here. Sacrificing friendships and people in the name of the Lord is not very Christ-like. Christ laid His life down for the whole world, not just for "Christians" (1 John 2:2). Christ was a friend to the sinners. Christ said "Blessed are those who obey My Commands." What were His commands? "To preach the Gospel to all the ends of the earth, baptizing, discipling, etc." -Matthew 28:18-20
Contrary to what we learn in church, Christ's commands were not to huddle up together in Christian circles while there is a dying, lost, broken world out there. Christ came to set the captives free - to heal the hurting and brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1-4) and to preach good news.
When you give up friends just because they aren't Christian or don't believe what you believe, what you're doing is very much against the message of Jesus Christ. If you are a Christian, your goal is to be Christ-like. "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." -1 John 2:6
Jesus sat down with those people, He never cast them out and He never said anything about equal yokes. In fact, we are lead to people to Him and we know His yoke and burden is light (Matthew 11:30). Jesus sat down with the most appalling people - prostitutes and tax collectors (Mark 2:13-17). He revealed His love and led them to the Kingdom of God and that was His instruction to His disciples and His Great Commission (Mark 16).
Our goal is to go out into the harvest Matthew 9:37-38. Love on your friends, and know the Lord is "Surely ALWAYS with you to the end of age." (Matthew 28:20)
He will NEVER leave you no matter who you are friends with..."love others as your neighbor"...(1 John 4:7, Luke 10:27) Show them the love of Christ and never give up on your friends. That is not what Christ taught or demonstrated in His life and our goal is to emulate Christ...not Paul, not Elijah, not John.
I love your heart, I can tell it's on fire for the Lord, but I've just seen too often how people get too religious (Pharisaic) and hurt those who need the Lord the most, which is what Christ called us to do (Matthew 21:28-32). I know you have the Spirit also so I hope you will search the Scriptures and look at Jesus as our one and only example!
Love. Jesus did not want sacrifice, but He desired mercy. Matthew 9:13
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