Happy New Year Backlash

[timothyu]

I sent out a greeting today online wishing everyone that their new year bless you as you bless others. Predictably responses came back asking why should they bless anyone when others don't bless them in any way. Do you think the Second commandment of Jesus has gotten through to these, that it is not what is in it for us but what we can do to help others? Is this a matter of poor teaching of God's will within the world, or a personal preference on people's part to follow their natural instinct/tendency toward personal greed as a way of life?

 

[Laodicean60]

I kinda know what you're talking about. Prior to my heart attack i was similar. When I blessed someone, I would expect something in return or when I said good morning to someone, and they didn't acknowledge me boy I'd curse them out in my mind "You grouchy old fart" with a lot of curse words in between. After the heart attack I went walking and I saw someone and said good morning have a blessed day. The dude just stared at me, and I kept walking smiling and I said to myself I love you because God loves me. 180 degree shift in my thinking and I know it was God. Kindda weird but I feel better because of it. Sometimes these forums test me lol

 

[Tuur]

If someone has said to me that they hoped the new year blessed me as much as I blessed others, I'd probably say "I'm in big trouble." Of course, those in a place might count it a blessing when I walk out the door, but be that as it may, I'll pray for someone but seldom say "May God bless you." And yes, I'm a grouchy old f*** who often remembers Proverbs 27:14. Sometimes I think people say "good morning" out of hope it will be one. It must be nice to wake all perky and bubbly, but I'm just not a morning person. The best I can manage it to try to be helpful and not a pain, whether I feel like it or not.

 

[Laodicean60]

It must be nice to wake all perky and bubbly, but I'm just not a morning person. The best I can manage it to try to be helpful and not a pain, whether I feel like it or not.

Dude lol I'm you. It takes a lot of conscious WORK to love you neighbor because it's unnatural. My judgmental thoughts about others, maybe cause I'm sometimes arrogant, are the hardest thoughts to take captive. Sadly, it took a heart attack after being a Christian for 25 years to figure Jesus's commandment out and looking at the world around us. Peace

 

[Divide]

I sent out a greeting today online wishing everyone that their new year bless you as you bless others. Predictably responses came back asking why should they bless anyone when others don't bless them in any way. Do you think the Second commandment of Jesus has gotten through to these, that it is not what is in it for us but what we can do to help others? Is this a matter of poor teaching of God's will within the world, or a personal preference on people's part to follow their natural instinct/tendency toward personal greed as a way of life?

That is a hard one to understand. But the long and short of it is that we are to bless those who curse us and to forgive them 70 times 7 times per day and that was hard to understand but the reality of the truth is that, when we curse our enemies or not forgive them it causes more spiritual damage to ourself in ones heart and soul. Unforgiveness is a seed of bitterness that is planted within the heart, and if one doesn't let it go and forgive them, it grows into a root of Bitterness. The persons soul is then in a worse condition.

But to forgive them is divine and protects the heart. To bless them is fruitful and may even help the Lord reach that person. So it helps them too. And everyone has always heard that to give is better than to receive. That is very true and is a humble servant mentality that leaves good growth in the heart and soul. On top of that, it is Obedience to the Lord and what He told us to do. He said to bless them and forgive them and the Lord isn't just giving us an impossible commandment under duress, He is actually trying to teach us that if we cultivate such a heart that it is very beneficial for us spiritually and physically.

It can be hard to forgive certains things in this life. I had one of those. I had to make it as an act of my will and spoke the forgiveness regularly with my voice into my life and soon, I felt the peace of forgiveness. As an act of my will to be obediant and forgive everyone. It worked for me.

 

[durangodawood]

I sent out a greeting today online wishing everyone that their new year bless you as you bless others......

Sounds like you are conditioning your hope for others on how they score in a particular measure of behavior. This sounds a little preachy at the expense of a certain amount of plain good will.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this?