• Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!

Posted by Bob in SK

“1. How often have you made a distinction in your own principles about the way you love God and the way you love people? Do you use different principles for each?”

Good question! In all honesty this is where I struggle most, because for the most part I don’t unconditionally love people. I find the majority of people stupid, irrational, immoral, illogical and selfish, which makes it very hard to even put up with them let alone feel any sort of love toward them. I know these characteristics define the sin, but it also shows the persons character thereby defining the person. I definitely use two principles for loving God and man, but it’s not hard to do once you understand God as completely good and man as a selfish sinful creature. The thing I find the most difficult is in knowing how God loved us so much that he gave us Christ to reconcile us with him, and that I should love people the way He did. However knowing this does not negate my own sinful nature of disgust towards other people’s inadequacies and stupidities. Generally speaking I love people enough to want to see them all come back to God, but at the same time I would rather not have to deal with the idiocy of the world.

“2. How often do you base your love for God on the wrong motives? E.g., something good happened today, so it produces feelings of thankfulness and even worship. Or, something didn't work out the way you thought it was supposed to, so you withdraw your trust from God.”

Thanks to the struggles He’s put in my life I would have to say far less often than I would have if I hadn’t been afflicted with my condition. The past 8 years of chronic pain have taught me that God is good and worthy of my love and praise even if I don’t see good things happening in my life. I think if I wasn’t going through what I am I would waffle on this question FAR more, being human I still sometime fall into self pity and forget to express my love for God, but I really see that happening very little in my life now. I think that we need a change of mindsets from that of selfish desires being the necessity for contentment to that of God being all we need, and when this happens it is far easier to thank God for and in all things.

“3. How often do you base your love for someone else on the wrong motives?”

Far too often; I base my love for others on the principles they hold to and the actions they demonstrate, instead of the fact that God created them in His image and deemed us worthy of His love (and therefore our love towards each other, meaning everyone and not just those with the same principles as we hold). But as I said this is my main point of controversy within me, I am working hard on rectifying this mentality but it is NOT easy.

Bob

• Permanent Link

Posted by happyhearts

1. How often have you made a distinction in your own principles about the way you love God and the way you love people? Do you use different principles for each?

Too often. I think I do use different principles and, honestly, I think I did a better job of this years ago than I do now. I'm not sure if it's because I analyze people more (in general) than I used to. It could be partially because my husband is my sounding board with regard to my classes and we often think of situations we've witnessed that fit the topics I'm studying and in the discussion he can be a little on the militant/harsh side. ;) He rubs off on me some....

2. How often do you base your love for God on the wrong motives? E.g., something good happened today, so it produces feelings of thankfulness and even worship. Or, something didn't work out the way you thought it was supposed to, so you withdraw your trust from God.

Probably all too often though I do try to balance it with purposefully praising Him when things seem bleak. Sometimes I need reminders from my friends to give me a step in the right direction and I have one friend who is particularly good at this. She's in my face about it but not rudely so. I do try to continue to trust God regardless of my circumstances these days.

3. How often do you base your love for someone else on the wrong motives?

Too often. I think that this is even harder for me than the issue in the last question. Again, I used to have an easier time with this than I do now but I'm working on it by reminding myself as often as I catch myself not loving and being judgemental instead. I do love people... but I've become a lot more cynical, I guess, than I used to be.

Dee..

• Permanent Link

Posted by AcceptanceWithJoy

[How often have you made a distinction in your own principles about the way you love God and the way you love people? Do you use different principles for each?]

Hmm... If you define principle as a fundamental law or truth, I don't think I do make a distinction in the principle of how I love God and people, it is the execution that I have difficulty with. I know that humans, all humans are image bearers. I know that I am supposed to love them. I also 'know' that in the scheme of it all I am just as unholy and fallen as the rest of mankind and on the days I am well rested, the sun is shining, my house is clean and my child is behaving, I can even act this out. But... there are times when I am caught off gaurd and encounter another person and don't respond in love. I am afraid that when I am when I am caught off gaurd like this, the person that comes out is who I really am at the core.

I remember one night when I was working at a very small hospital one night shift and I was convicted of this very issue. One night the ambulance was called to pick up a man from a single car automobile accident. When they arrived, I learned that it was a man that I was very familar with. I had already assisted the physician in stitching up his lip after he had been in a bar fight. I had been there one night to help stitch above his eyes. It was a beautiful night and he had decided to climb a tree to get a better look at the stars. This night, he had sped away from his girlfriend's home in anger and lost control of his car. He had a minor head injury and a very bad hand injury. When I was caring for him, all I saw was an alcoholic. I was disgusted. I cannot believe how loud and emphatic my next thought was, "I died for him." Ouch!! The fastest prayer I ever muttered, "Oh God, help me see him the way you do."

[How often do you base your love for God on the wrong motives? E.g., something good happened today, so it produces feelings of thankfulness and even worship. Or, something didn't work out the way you thought it was supposed to, so you withdraw your trust from God.]

Another area that I thought I had completely under control. I have come face-to-face with this so often. Most significantly, God is love even when a child is born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, but then my Dad died. Lord, help me represent you well under all circumstances.

[How often do you base your love for someone else on the wrong motives?]

I don't know that I like this question! :o) Um... you are questioning a wife and a mother. Isn't it a tough balance to show people that our love for them is unconditional and not performance based? There are days that I am afraid that I treat my family better because things are going well and days I don't act so nice because I am stressed about ~ whatever. However, this is not true agape love. These are the days when I try to substitute my fallen, sloppy, kind-of-like, human effort love for God's love. How often? Less than a year ago, but more often than I would like. By working out my faith, perhaps it happens a little more today than it will in a year from now?

Still a work in progress ~

• Permanent Link