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| Something that is missing from this wheel is the word "spiritual" ... the abuse and the tearing apart of each other in backbiting and trying to boss each other around is very pervasive in the body of Christ. Must it be so? |
I've been looking at the comments on Jred's blog, the usual arguments against "the traditions of men"....but isn't it a "tradition of men" to tell other people what they should and shouldn't do, instead of following as the Holy Spirit directs? The Lord shows us how He can use things that bless people "in season and out of season" and find treasures in both old and new:
Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
We are not to force others to our own opinion, if they see it fine, and if they don't fine....and believe me it has taken me a long time to see that. When I felt strongly that the Lord showed me something, that I saw others doing wrong, I honestly felt it my duty and responsibility to force others to see what God had shown to me....that is not what God has put me here for. I can be guilty (and have done so, I confess) of this very abusive behavior myself.
Each of us is directed by God individually, and each of us is given gifts by God to do with as He personally directs each of us individually. What He has me to do might be (and probably is) different from what He has others do uniquely made to what He made me for. God didn't make cookie cutter Christians. :) I was reading something somewhere yesterday which stated that the way of the Lord is so narrow that it only lets one individual in at a time, not groups. We are each on the path that the Lord has mapped out for each of us as He has created us each individually, to be. Jesus is my shepherd, not another person dictating to me what he thinks I should be doing (or not doing).
If Jesus decides to bring some to a knowledge of who He is through celebrating His birth at Christmas time, why would He be wrong to do so? If some (many?) decide that Christmas is a good time to bring warmth to the winter months by remembering the blessedness of Jesus birth, why should anyone say "You mustn't do that!"...?
Jesus brings blessing and goodness to His own any and every season, not condemnation and cursing. Jesus birth into the world is a reason for celebrating and for thinking on with wonder and joy.
Just because some decide that Jesus not being born on Dec 25th should be a reason to not celebrate, well, that is their own journey, and peace be unto them.
<3
Wow! Susan this is exactly what I've experienced over the course of a family relations situation that is at a new better level now as result of just this bit of wisdom as you posted,
ReplyDelete"the Lord is so narrow that it only lets one individual in at a time, not groups. We are each on the path that the Lord has mapped out for each of us as He has created us each individually, to be. Jesus is my shepherd, not another person dictating to me what he thinks I should be doing (or not doing)."
Glad you've articulated it so well for me. We're not done by a long shot on the issue, but now we're handling it more faithfully and just have to believe that Jesus will guide each of us to his way. :)
Hi Musemater,
ReplyDelete"Not done by a long shot..." that's for sure! But as long as we remember WHO the Good Shepherd is we are on the right track :)