I will give few of my favorite Bible quotes.
None of us are worthless. All of us are sinners, and we shouldn't think we are better than others - but that's why we have Christ. None of us can boast, and none of us should put each other down. But worthless and undeserving of God's love? Never. God's love isn't deserved. We never deserved it, He gave it, and He still gives it freely. No matter who you are, no matter what you've done. So instead of racing against each other in some kind of weird competition, we should all just be thankful and loving - not putting burdens on each other or jumping higher from their backs.
This is from the Gospel according to Matthew:
"“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Just look at it, sister. Does it say "blessed are those who don't cry" or "blessed are those who put others down", or "blessed are those who think they are more righteous than others"? No. God knows we have troubles, He knows we don't know much, He knows we are weak, He knows it all. Also, the "poor in spirit" part. He knows we can feel lost when searching for Him sometimes, and some of us can be disabled and not capable or higher thoughts. No matter what it is, He knows it. If I knew everything about God, would I be poor in spirit? Would I thirst for righteousness? No. I would know anything already, I would have it, and considering I'm just a man, I couldn't even get there anyway. But instead of punishing us, God gives us His mercy. Because He knows. His love is pure. Ours isn't, we treat love often as currency. "I give this to you, now you give that to me". God doesn't deal with currencies.
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This one I love. It's from Luke 18.
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Let's look at this one. It's not just about Pharisee putting others down, but also about what he claims he is doing for God. And he probably did what he said, and more. In some ways many people would have thought that indeed, that pharisee is a righteous man. But Jesus Christ himself had sympathy for the tax collector. Our saviour himself! The tax collector didn't even know how to pray, he was just ashamed and broken. He was humble, he couldn't even pretend. Isn't that how we often are - a little lost? Often feeling that we are just too bad for God? Yet Christ himself used that man, just like any of us, man or woman, as an example.
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The prodigal son (Luke 15):
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
We stumble. We get lost. We make mistakes, and we do bad things - sometimes willingly, knowing what we are doing. But before we even start to call for God again, He is already there. It's always us who wander around, leave or run away, and He always stays, never leaving. Sometimes we're the prodigal son, sometimes we're the jealous brother. And BOTH have a home.
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Let's look at the criminal next to Christ on the cross. I love this. It is so powerful and telling of the grace of God in Christ. This if from Luke as well.
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The thing is, that criminal could have easily lived a life of crime his whole life. And if not, then at least what he had done got him to the cross, and he acknowledged that he is guilty. He could have easily been something we would call a "bad man". He had probably never spoken to Jesus Before. And what does Christ do? He completely and absolutely sets him free. He forgives his every sin in that very instant. Absolute redemption. Jesus is dying himself, but still showing the grace of God. He gives it freely. Always.
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This is from Paul's letter to the Romans. Paul alone is one of greatest testaments to God's grace. He persecuted and murdered christians. What did he get for it? He was made an apostle, to preach the truth about our saviour Jesus Christ - whom he hated with such passion! Think about it.
14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
That is not just about food. It's about the differences in our manners and faith. Someone might say to me: "you are not a christian, because you do X.". I might say to him: "you are not a christian. you know nothing about God". We would both be wrong. What that scripture tells us, that we all have our own faith - and even weak faith is faith. We all have different manners and ways of searching for God in Christ. None of us is better than the other. Your faith is yours. Yes, God talks to all, and He gives his grace freely - but we all have our own relationship with him too. Yours is not any worse. It is simply yours, and that is good.
I also like this part of the same book: "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."
So if you have not been supported, the better you know how it important it is. And you just might get even better at it, supporting others. It probably won't comfort you now, but you will have no way of knowing how many people you have supported in the end. And the ones you know or will know, you will see how much difference it makes. God can turn bad things into good things. It's one of those good fruits Jesus spoke about. It's not necessarily about having the greatest life without worries, but these acts of love that do bear fruit - even if we wouldn't see those fruits ourselves. God will comfort us through His word.
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and least, but not last:
"The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!"
This is the part where Jesus encourages his disciples for the oppression they will know. This is a good one, because it provides comfort for those who don't have much, who are mocked or attacked or who are suffering: Christ suffered more. For us. He did what we cannot do, and set us all free. He will guide us.
I hope that wasn't too long. Just keep an honest heart and put your hopes and pains in front of Christ in your prayers. In time, you will understand. Us christians can be the absolute worst kind of people to each other. And even for them, we are told to pray for. Instead of fighting, forgiveness and love. It just goes to show that God's love is perfect and greater than we will truly understand.
You are loved, sister.