The LOVE Thread

[RickardoHolmes]

With all the disturbing news about Paris, Syria, Iraq, and the general hatred being spawned in the name of God in those areas, the world needs love.

Recently, there have been many different posts here on the forums as well as on other sites about people crying out for help who have realized that they have a problem with hatred. Many of us are going out of our way to help them in any way we can. Worse though is those who preach hatred, who twist the scriptures to justify their hatred and try to spread their negativity under the guise of religion.

A few days ago, I saw something very disturbing. A person was wearing a TShirt advertising her HATRED of the president, even bragging about it. I cannot fathom why someone would want to be proud of something so negative.

It is time we put aside hatred, which is not the way of Christ and look to the Love of ourselves and our fellow man, which IS the way of Christ. When we allow Christ to live at the center of our existence, then our day to day focus stops being about hatred and negative emotions, but about Love, Empowerment and the Essence of the Living Christ among us.

Let us take a moment to step back and reaffirm our love for Christ, our self, and each other.
Let us see the LOVE that God manifested in Christ, and let us bring that to the forefront of our actions. Let us accept ourselves, Love ourselves as God does. and Love others as God does.
Let us us allow our actions to be those which enhance the positive aspects of the world around us.

I would close by talking about how much I love each and every one of you. But you know that already. I could remind you that God loves you, but I hope u already realized that long ago. I would challenge you then to express your love, through thought, works and word, just as the Word is the Manifestation of God in Christ, which allows each of us to act as beacons of light and love in a sometimes dark world.

As Christians, we are not part of the negativity in the world. We are not part of the problem. Instead, we hold the solution. That solution is Love, which comes from God, through Christ, in us. We are the lights of God's Love. May we spend our days and nights showing this through our works.

 

[brinny]

Thank you. I agree. God help us, and God bless us, ev'ry one.

 

[GraceDriven]

With all the disturbing news about Paris, Syria, Iraq, and the general hatred being spawned in the name of God in those areas, the world needs love.

Recently, there have been many different posts here on the forums as well as on other sites about people crying out for help who have realized that they have a problem with hatred. Many of us are going out of our way to help them in any way we can. Worse though is those who preach hatred, who twist the scriptures to justify their hatred and try to spread their negativity under the guise of religion.

A few days ago, I saw something very disturbing. A person was wearing a TShirt advertising her HATRED of the president, even bragging about it. I cannot fathom why someone would want to be proud of something so negative.

It is time we put aside hatred, which is not the way of Christ and look to the Love of ourselves and our fellow man, which IS the way of Christ. When we allow Christ to live at the center of our existence, then our day to day focus stops being about hatred and negative emotions, but about Love, Empowerment and the Essence of the Living Christ among us.

Let us take a moment to step back and reaffirm our love for Christ, our self, and each other.
Let us see the LOVE that God manifested in Christ, and let us bring that to the forefront of our actions. Let us accept ourselves, Love ourselves as God does. and Love others as God does.
Let us us allow our actions to be those which enhance the positive aspects of the world around us.

I would close by talking about how much I love each and every one of you. But you know that already. I could remind you that God loves you, but I hope u already realized that long ago. I would challenge you then to express your love, through thought, works and word, just as the Word is the Manifestation of God in Christ, which allows each of us to act as beacons of light and love in a sometimes dark world.

As Christians, we are not part of the negativity in the world. We are not part of the problem. Instead, we hold the solution. That solution is Love, which comes from God, through Christ, in us. We are the lights of God's Love. May we spend our days and nights showing this through our works.

Very nice post and a post of truth. Since you are so wise can you tell me how in the world can I forgive a few local people. I have tried everything. Talking it out with others. Reading scriptures on forgiveness. Praying and asking God over and over what I should do. Saying over again that the "first act in forgiveness is to realize these people are idiots." And the only conclusion I can come to is a high desire of punching them in the face. The sad part is a) even if misunderstood, they could acknowledge it and say they are sorry it makes me feel that they are above me . In this case they are really not.... b) they appear to be a representation of some of the church going people of the area. What they did to me was not very Christian like. Does not involve the church that I go to, I would not set foot in it if that was the case. I need no church to pray to God.

 

[RickardoHolmes]

Well Grace, I am not all THAT Wise, nor do I know your situation. I certainly do not know the situation of those who wronged you.
It is never acceptable for us to do wrong to someone. Sadly, not everyone realizes this or lives by the golden rule. Long ago, I once commented on a neighbor that was constantly annoying me. My dad pointed out
"desperate people do desperate things"
I do not know what the people did to you, but there are, sadly, many desperate people who claim to be Christian. Of course, with a Christ centered life there is no need for despair.
Remember GraceDriven that by being a part of higher morals, higher standards and unconditional love, even when it is difficult, you are being part of the solution, not part of the problem. The people you are referencing clearly have a deep seated self hatred, otherwise they would not lash out at others. I can think of nothing you can do to them that would be worse than what they are already doing to themselves.
You are too good for them, but yes, people do us wrong in life at times, we have all encountered it. Forgive, let go and Let Ggd, and move on the Path of Christ.

 

[RickardoHolmes]

HI Everyone

Grace, I tought of something last night that I wanted to share.
Many years ago, I was for a very short time, involved in a church (by my parent's pushing" that practiced hate. I was never accepted in the short time I was there. THey had a youth director that would go around visiting and proselytizing new members. He would act like the greatest guy in the world, but he was very pushy about membership. However, after one joined, it became clear that his concern was only with getting more members, and no concerning himself atall with existing members. SO though I tried to be involved, I was basically treated as an outcast and quickly realized that this church was not for me.
The congregation grew into a megachurch, but to this day, is frequently rocked by one scandal after another, allegations of abuse and wrongdoing by the current staff and members.
I spent years being angry at the members and pastors who had treated me so poorly.
Then, one morning, at a casual church service that I did not even plan or really want to attend, The guy preaching said something that sparked that "A-HA!" Moment and clearly everything came into view.
God was telling me that HE did not want me there. IF I had been accepted by these people, if I had become friends with them, if I had gotten involved with their programs (which I tried but was rejected) ...if all had fallen into place....I might have become just like them.
And clearly, while God loves all, even them, that behavior is NOT acceptable even to God. And God certainly did not want me to be a further victim, or worse even, an eventual cohort of such activities which would continue to plague this group to this very day. God wanted me to be a loving, accepting and kind person, not a hatemonger, not an abuser, not an adulterer, not a thief. But had I made friends with these people, at the time, and been influenced by their sense of w right and wrong, I could have ended up as one or all of those. Because that was, in fact, the vast majority of the leaders and members therein.

So when people act a certain way, listen to what God says, not what they say. God may be showing you, for good reason, that certain behaviors are hurtful and evil towards others, just as they are to you. Avoid these behaviors. God does not approve. And he is demonstrating to you how, in His Infinite Wisdom and Grace, in ways that You and I do not fully understand, what HE wants you to learn, and sometimes, it is to avoid that which may seem ok on the surface, but is truly Un-Godly in reality.