There is something that really gets me a bit angry and it concerns those who always presume on God's plan for ones life to be successful and rosy. You know the ones , something bad happens or you don't get that job,lose your job ,get sick etc.. and they say comments like a hallmark christian card. God has a wonderful plan for your life or something to that nature. It just drives me nuts because as they understand it or frame it , its simply not true. To say that presumes I know that what God intends for you , which I don't . I can't tell you why your plans blew up . I can' t tell you that the grass will be greener once you get to where God wants you to go.
Look at the life of Paul. After he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus , was left blind for a bit and was converted,healed and began his ministry to proclaim the gospel. If I walked up to him and said God has a wonderful plan for your life Paul , to which I would mean , victory ,ease ,health and security , I would have been way off . Paul suffered hardship for the sake of the gospel of Christ.Stoning,whippings,beatings,ship wrecks,hunger,imprisonment and finally beheading in Rome.
Most people who babble off these hallmark Christians statement usually misquote the Bible so badly its easy to see. But the harm they do to those who are in a struggle or facing persecution for the faith is immeasurable. One that I'm tire of hearing is about the promise to Israel in the Old testament that when the Prophet tells Israel if they would tithe all they have and give to God , He will reward them tenfold. That was a specific promise to Israel of Old . It was fulfilled in the hearing of the promise. To try and apply it to today is a very poor use of scripture and faulty exegesis. But this type of stiff abounds in hallmark Christians. If one gives to God , I don't know what blessing will come your way .
The one things I do know is that in Jesus Christ we have an inheritance that will not perish. That in Jesus Christ we will be raised and glorified. That in Jesus Christ we are no longer our own but we are His . That in Jesus Christ ,He will present us to the Father spotless and without sin because of His blood. That in Christ , we will be called to suffer for the sake of the gospel for the immeasurable gift of grace given to us.
The joy,peace,hope,victory,riches that we have been given are not of this world . The call to take up our cross and follow Jesus is a thing of wonder and beauty. To know that we enter into the sufferings of Christ is not a bad thing but a glorious truth for as Paul reminds us ," Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," 2 Timothy 3:12.
So the next time you share the gospel do yourself a favor don't say God has a wonderful plan for your life line. The next time something bad happens to someone don't share cliche hallmark greeting card responses. Enter into that persons struggle or pain . Weep ,pray,listen and serve. Point them to Jesus Christ and let God show His splendor and beauty .
1 comment:
You're preaching to the choir. After my cancer surgery, some people couldn't understand why it took a while for me to adjust to my reconstructed face. If I made a comment they'd say, "Well, at least you're alive." Which is true. But there is a lot of mental stuff, you go through, to walk out the door with confidence. Whether we like it or not, we judge people in 10 seconds of meeting them.
I find this response to be very cold. As it says in 1 Samuel 16:7, "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
But, in these people's defence, I don't know who has lost someone who'd they'd rejoice to have back, even with a different face, like mine. The people in your life, who love you, love you.
Moral of the story, be slow to speak and be slow to take offence at someone else's speech. Love you, Mrs Reg
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