As I struggled to get myself to sleep just before lunchtime some time last month, a question dawned on me. Why would a loving God require His people to deny themselves --their rights, their feelings, their etc-- sacrifice and take all the pain? Isn't that deprivation? From the Prayer Meeting the night before that day, I even heard from a Pastor that God is our Heavenly Father. Would a father want his child to be in pain and take all the agony of self-denial? As far as I'm concerned, fathers even tell their kids to fight back when being bullied. So, why is God instructing His children to give the other cheek, forget about themselves and promote peace?
...and before I even start asking Him this question, He already answered me. The reason is because He wants His children to be just like Him. Just like His Son Jesus Christ. I realized how much people hurt Him every single second of each day by doing things that are against Him or hurtful to Him. But, He looks past almost everything. He tolerates and extends more and more patience because He loves His people. Just like what says in the Scriptures, "Love covers all offenses". God chooses to ignore every mistake, every wrongdoing, every sin...just to keep His relationship with His people. And He wants all His children to do the same because relationship for Him is more important than opinion, feelings...who's right or who's wrong...
...and before I even start asking Him this question, He already answered me. The reason is because He wants His children to be just like Him. Just like His Son Jesus Christ. I realized how much people hurt Him every single second of each day by doing things that are against Him or hurtful to Him. But, He looks past almost everything. He tolerates and extends more and more patience because He loves His people. Just like what says in the Scriptures, "Love covers all offenses". God chooses to ignore every mistake, every wrongdoing, every sin...just to keep His relationship with His people. And He wants all His children to do the same because relationship for Him is more important than opinion, feelings...who's right or who's wrong...
The Word tells us, "You are God’s dear children, so try to be like Him." (Ephesians 5:1, ERV) In the Scriptures God says, "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:16, ERV)
It's unquestionably hard to extend forgiveness. There are even times when all we ever do is to wait for the person who wronged us to come to us and apologize for a wrong done before we can convince ourselves they ought to be forgiven. Then, there are even times, no matter how sorry the person already is, we still find it hard to pardon the offense. More often, even the doer of the misdeed. Forgiveness becomes more of a chore when we allow ourselves to justify the way we feel -- the hurt. We feel and it's excuse enough to continue dwelling in that episode when we're mistreated. And, there really is a ground for anger if you come to think of it. But, we can always choose to respond in a good way when angry. We don't always have to aggravate the situation. We don't always have to get even. We shouldn't always think of avenging ourselves.
The apostle Paul asked this question "...Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" (1 Corinthians 6:7, NET)
Made me think. Easier said than done. Someone gossiped about you... stole something from you... lied to you ...physically assaulted you... and all you want is justice. Don't we all deserve justice? I believe we do. But, don't we also offend, provoke, agitate, annoy the people around us intentionally or unintentionally every so often? We can even madden anyone just by being us. When we insist on what we want, we already violate another being. Most of the time, it's the person closest to us who we antagonize more often. When there's relationship, misunderstanding is almost always not absent. And thing is it's not always intentional. It's just because relationship is hard. There are times we don't understand our own selves. How much more the other person we're relating with?
One of the disciplines I'd like to apply in my life is to understand that I am dealing with another person -- different persons...on a daily basis. A person with his/her own mind, decisions, feelings. I cannot impose on him/her what I want to happen. And it's not right for me to expect him/her to act or react, think, behave the same way I would at a given situation. I have to allow the person be who s/he is. That's his/her canvass. I have my own. And to deny him/her that privilege of living the way s/he wants is denying him/her individuality. God, Who is the Creator of everything here on Earth, does not even deny me my right to be me. When He gave me free will, He allowed me full access to it without questioning why my decisions are faulty. He just let's me be. He would nudge me from time to time and remind me whenever I misbehave but He doesn't insist on what He rather wants me to do. He is an All-Knowing God but He doesn't boss me around. So, who gives me (or anyone of us...mere humans) the right to act gods? To lord over anyone only because we think of ourselves better than others.
No, God isn't being hard on me when He tells me to deny myself. He only wants me to be more loving, to be more patient, to be more tolerant of the weaknesses of another being...because He treats me that way. And, if I am treated with kindness and gentleness ...which, in fact, I don't deserve...then, it's just but right that I extend that same grace. Otherwise, it's much better for me not to receive such treatment at all.
As I start and develop more relationships with people around me, I find it hard to follow Christ's command to "love my neighbors as myself". Esp, when I know that I am very critical of myself. I punish myself whenever I fail. And, when I know that I don't deliberately wrong anyone. When I am being careful not to hurt anyone's feelings. Somehow, I expect others to do the same. To do their own roles as Christians. But, then, as I am reminded that "none is righteous...not even one" I am helped. God's Truth always helps. We all have struggles. And, I believe that everyone is doing their best to be better individuals. It's just really hard when you're trying to change what is innate in you. It's like trying to be a flower when you're a bee.
God doesn't focus on my failures, weaknesses, trespasses... He even forgives readily when He sees my sorry heart even before I actually ask for forgiveness. And I feel His grace every time. So, even when it's hard, I strive to remain true to the Second Greatest Commandment because I know that Christ did His part so I can be part of His family. And if I belong to God's Kingdom, it must follow that I have the same fruit. Otherwise, I only prove that I don't really belong.
By saying, "why not rather be wronged" doesn't mean you're just gonna allow people to step on you. I don't think that is God's idea of how His children should be. It only means that Christians should respond in such a way that God is still gonna be glorified.
It's unquestionably hard to extend forgiveness. There are even times when all we ever do is to wait for the person who wronged us to come to us and apologize for a wrong done before we can convince ourselves they ought to be forgiven. Then, there are even times, no matter how sorry the person already is, we still find it hard to pardon the offense. More often, even the doer of the misdeed. Forgiveness becomes more of a chore when we allow ourselves to justify the way we feel -- the hurt. We feel and it's excuse enough to continue dwelling in that episode when we're mistreated. And, there really is a ground for anger if you come to think of it. But, we can always choose to respond in a good way when angry. We don't always have to aggravate the situation. We don't always have to get even. We shouldn't always think of avenging ourselves.
The apostle Paul asked this question "...Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" (1 Corinthians 6:7, NET)
Made me think. Easier said than done. Someone gossiped about you... stole something from you... lied to you ...physically assaulted you... and all you want is justice. Don't we all deserve justice? I believe we do. But, don't we also offend, provoke, agitate, annoy the people around us intentionally or unintentionally every so often? We can even madden anyone just by being us. When we insist on what we want, we already violate another being. Most of the time, it's the person closest to us who we antagonize more often. When there's relationship, misunderstanding is almost always not absent. And thing is it's not always intentional. It's just because relationship is hard. There are times we don't understand our own selves. How much more the other person we're relating with?
One of the disciplines I'd like to apply in my life is to understand that I am dealing with another person -- different persons...on a daily basis. A person with his/her own mind, decisions, feelings. I cannot impose on him/her what I want to happen. And it's not right for me to expect him/her to act or react, think, behave the same way I would at a given situation. I have to allow the person be who s/he is. That's his/her canvass. I have my own. And to deny him/her that privilege of living the way s/he wants is denying him/her individuality. God, Who is the Creator of everything here on Earth, does not even deny me my right to be me. When He gave me free will, He allowed me full access to it without questioning why my decisions are faulty. He just let's me be. He would nudge me from time to time and remind me whenever I misbehave but He doesn't insist on what He rather wants me to do. He is an All-Knowing God but He doesn't boss me around. So, who gives me (or anyone of us...mere humans) the right to act gods? To lord over anyone only because we think of ourselves better than others.
No, God isn't being hard on me when He tells me to deny myself. He only wants me to be more loving, to be more patient, to be more tolerant of the weaknesses of another being...because He treats me that way. And, if I am treated with kindness and gentleness ...which, in fact, I don't deserve...then, it's just but right that I extend that same grace. Otherwise, it's much better for me not to receive such treatment at all.
As I start and develop more relationships with people around me, I find it hard to follow Christ's command to "love my neighbors as myself". Esp, when I know that I am very critical of myself. I punish myself whenever I fail. And, when I know that I don't deliberately wrong anyone. When I am being careful not to hurt anyone's feelings. Somehow, I expect others to do the same. To do their own roles as Christians. But, then, as I am reminded that "none is righteous...not even one" I am helped. God's Truth always helps. We all have struggles. And, I believe that everyone is doing their best to be better individuals. It's just really hard when you're trying to change what is innate in you. It's like trying to be a flower when you're a bee.
God doesn't focus on my failures, weaknesses, trespasses... He even forgives readily when He sees my sorry heart even before I actually ask for forgiveness. And I feel His grace every time. So, even when it's hard, I strive to remain true to the Second Greatest Commandment because I know that Christ did His part so I can be part of His family. And if I belong to God's Kingdom, it must follow that I have the same fruit. Otherwise, I only prove that I don't really belong.
By saying, "why not rather be wronged" doesn't mean you're just gonna allow people to step on you. I don't think that is God's idea of how His children should be. It only means that Christians should respond in such a way that God is still gonna be glorified.
Authentic Christianity is when
a Christian values faith more than comfort.
Something to ponder about...
True love requires sacrifice.
God doesn’t call us to be comfortable.
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“As Christians you should be like bridges to Heaven; letting people walk on you to get there.”
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