Last week I wrote about our entertaining experiences of
attempting to coerce our uninterested critters into living according to our principles.
Not unlike our farm critters, we all have varying
understandings of what life ought to look like and what freedom means. It isn’t unusual for others to come along and
attempt to force us into their “life in Christ” molds. Rather than seeking to live in unity and
bearing with one another, we argue with, criticize and shame one another. If we can’t convince others to bend to our standards,
we resort to directly or indirectly rejecting and discrediting one another. The end result is living in isolation with
our bigheaded conclusions.
It is
pride that causes us to believe that we have it all figured out and that another
does not. It is haughtiness that leads
us to think that others ought to live the way in which we live.
Do we not understand that
Pride
goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall,
(Proverbs 16:18)?
Paul begged the followers
of Jesus to walk in a manner worthy of
the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness,
with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, (Ephesians 4:1-2).
Why can’t we get a grip on
this concept which is pressed more than any other in Scriptures?
While we may be called to live it out
differently,
we all
have the same hope.
We all
have the same faith.
We all
have been baptized into Christ.
We all
have the Spirit of Jesus dwelling within us!
Until we see much in
ourselves which we find difficult to forgive, there will be little
demonstration of humility, gentleness, or patience toward others. Our haughty spirit will continue to separate
the family of God. We have been warned, The terror you inspire and the pride of your
heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy
the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle's,
from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD, (Jeremiah 49:16).
Brethren who will
not communicate with one another upon spiritual subjects are as traders who
shut up their shops and will not buy or sell.
Too wise to be taught and to idle to teach, they live isolated lives,
like the man in the iron mask, without joy to themselves or benefit to others. We shall all be beggars together if we shut
ourselves like hermits and cry every man for himself… Let us hold mutual discourses upon our
experiences, make pleasant exchange of our knowledge and aid each other by our
gifts. – CH Spurgeon
Don’t allow anyone to force
or coerce you into their mold of what
it looks like to “live in Christ”. Be
what Father has created you to be.
Fulfill the role He has given you
in His family no matter how different it may look than that of any other. The rest of us need you even if you‘re a
“gangsta” like Charlie!
Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie
P.S. Please
feel free to contact me with questions, thoughts, topics you’d like to ponder
or to read past articles at: http://whole-heartedlife.blogspot.com/. You may also contact me at:
Bonnie
Jaeckle
In Search
of the Whole-Hearted Life
Diagonal
Progress
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