Christians...

[Gitana]

Due to recent events(see my "terribly hurt by family member" on We That Struggle) I have come to the conclusion that some Christians can be the meanist, nastiest, most judgemental, hateful people on the earth.

I was talking to a Hindu friend of mine about the whole situation and she said that my family members actions are what caused a lot of people who might become Christians to turn away from it.

I, myself, am a Christian, but my friend that is a Hindu is one of the most loving, giving, caring, compassionate people I've ever met. She has treated me better than some of the people in my family that call themselves a Christian.

I know we all sin. We all make mistakes. We all say things we don't mean.

Taking that into consideration, I think before we start shouting out that we're a Christian, maybe our actions would speak louder than just saying that.

Jesus LOVED. He LOVED. He loved everyone. He told us not to judge only to love one another, that was the second greatest commandment.

Who are we to judge someone else by where they go to church or what type of friends they have or what they eat or drink or where they go????

I guess I've been disillusioned by my aunt and now I'm rethinking some things.

I do believe in Jesus and I always will, but I think He really did want us to just LOVE and not judge and not fight and not say mean things to one another.

I guess I'm just rambling...sorry.

Love,
Gitana

[Paul]

:hug

During His ministry the one's who Jesus has His harshes words were the those who misrepresent Him.

"The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. "

[sarahbeth]

That, I believe, is satan's greatest tactic......counterfiet.


Not all who claim the name of our Lord are his. If they are without his spirit they are not.

Their lives should have the fruit of the spirit such as love, joy, peace, meekness, goodness, longsuffering, slow to anger and... :confused what are the other two? :lol

What better way to cause the world to hate the true Christians than to make a bunch of mean tares into false converts.

friends, Sarah

[nooneuno]

Since I am adding everywhere on this site tonight, here is something to think about:

I have been severely hurt by my family-mom, dad, sister..all believers.So much so that when my dad was dying in the hospital, no one called me until he was coding (didn't know he was even IN the hospital) and when me and my whole family got there, we stood before my dead dad/grandpa. Now that is believers.My dad was even a deacon. :cry
(I had tried to reconcile Biblically 70x7..still rejected.) (long story..horrible)

All I can do is give this to the Lord and let Him handle it all and them. You do what your responsibility might be before Jesus.

I need to be concerned of my potential anger turning to bitterness. I ask the Lord to forgive me where I have wronged, direct my path, and pray for them..and trust Him to handle them whether they are handled here on earth or when they stand before Jesus.

It breaks your heart, doesn't it? One day that pain will be gone.

Pray and keep praying.

[LeahIA]

Your tongue is the most important part of your body that satan wants. Erwin Lutzer, Sr. Pastor, Moody Church

[tennismenace]

Aren't you glad your faith is in Christ and not his followers?

[seeker42]

Due to recent events(see my "terribly hurt by family member" on We That Struggle) I have come to the conclusion that some Christians can be the meanist, nastiest, most judgemental, hateful people on the earth.

That is sadly...true. often...

Just because people are saved, does not mean that they are not screwed up.


Remember the Bible is a book of Love, but there can be a great distance between seeing that Jesus loves us, and understanding how this applies to our lives.

The Church and those in Churches today, are very often weak Christians. Many of them do not know how to read or study the Bible. They walk away from a Church sermon wondering how it applies to them...they read the Bible only to wonder how this has any chance of ever relating to their experiences ....

IN the old days, another Christian who was older or more mature would take another younger Christian and sit down and find ways to meet with them, have a Bible study with them, and pray with them.

But finding those kinds of people these days is very hard. So the result is that after 30 years (or more) of not doing that, everyone is pretty much too busy with their own thing.

What this means in practical terms is that those who come to Church often are broken inside, and stay broken.

In a sense all of us are broken. But there are lessons about the Love of Christ, and how to apply that love...that families which have a history of trauma, or alcohol, or hardship have trouble both grasping and believing.

This is not because they are bad, but rather that they have no way of relating on the points of the Bible of HOW to love someone else.

Most of us learn from examples, and without the example, it can be hard to make the connection.

Those that come from alcoholic homes/backgrounds often have huge issues of Guilt and Shame. Its great to know that Jesus does NOT condemn us, and that HE loves us no matter what.

But trying to get relatives to see or realize their own need to forgive, or help, or reach out, or comfort or love... can be very tough.

The Bible says that Jesus loves us, but teaching people (especially adults) how to love, and to be loving, and to find the strength that comes from Christ (instead of from depending on ourselves) is very hard.

Some situations where alcoholism plays a role in the family... have so many issues of past guilt and past failings, that older family members don't want to admit to one mistake, for fear of being forced to accept blame for many OTHER mistakes.

The only solution is to recognize that Jesus forgives everyone, and that none of us are perfect. But suspicion and guilt are often kindred.

It may be - as much as it may hurt to say this - that your understanding of love and of Jesus...is the best and strongest example that your family has seen in decades.

Its good to realize that we do have other brothers and sisters in Christ when our family lets us down, and to realize that Jesus had a lifetime of Rejection by his own family (before they finally understood His love).


2 cents worth,


Seeker

[MrsG0529]

Aren't you glad your faith is in Christ and not his followers?

Amen! :nod

[mrsppmrxky]

Gitano,

I am so sorry that you have been hurt by your family! Family and fellow Christians seem to lodge deeper wounds on our hearts and minds.

What you have to do here is step back and think this through scriptually.

Jesus told us that once we accept Him as our Saviour that we should not be surprised when the world rejects us. (Our family, our fellow Christians and even the unsaved are 'in the world' and they are humans with human failings.) Sometimes that means that we will have to deny family in order to follow Christ.

Your AUNT hurt you. (She says that she is a Christian) It was not Christ, God or the Holy Spirit that hurt you, but another human being.

I was hurt about 25 yrs ago by a Christian that I looked up to. The hurt went so deeply, that I almost quit going to church. I came to the conclusion after much soul searching that I had been wrong. (The leader had been wrong and had let MANY people down)

I had put this leader up on a pedestal. We are not to esteem one greater than another. Only God deserves to be on a throne. He alone.

People will let you down everytime. I can try my best to be the best Christian, wife, friend, sister, mother, but I will fail a person at some point in this life. I will hurt their feelings or do something that will disappoint them. I do my best not to do those things, but because I am human, I will not be everything to all people..... At the point when they bring it to my attention I should ask for their forgiveness, but if I am in sin and being defiant, then I might not be an obedient Christian right away.

The best thing that you can do at this point is to pray for your aunt. Ask God to get ahold of her heart and show her the things that she needs to change. God can do a much better job of showing her the errors of her ways than you can in pointing out her shortcomings.

We are not to judge one another's salvation, but we can be fruit inspectors.
(The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23)

The fruit of satan would be the opposite. We each have to pray and ask God to make the Fruit of the Spirit manifested in our lives. Fruit takes time to grow andit has to be tended with care.

[Gitana]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies.
I guess I just put too much trust in her because she's always been sort of "goody two-shoes" kind of Christian. I mean, I've never heard her say a wrong word.

Then for her to be so cruel and judgemental on me, it just really hurt me.

Love,
Gitana

[Maria]

I also have a friend/coworker from India. When I told her that I was a Christian she was okay with that.... Later on as we started talking more and more often she told me that she appreciated that I wasn't trying to force down her throat my beliefs. She told me that one of her co workers told her one time that she was going to hell if she didn't accpet Jesus as her Savior... Well, it is a truth that cannot be told this way of course. :thumb

You don't gain a prospect convert by telling YOU ARE GOING TO HELL!!!! That is a big turn off. I was soooo embarrassed when I heard that. I told her that I don't speak like that. Told her a little bit about Jesus and said to her that my testimony sometimes spoke more than my words...

Thank goodness she now sees that not all christians express themselves this way and that we are not all alike. I am not saying that my brother in Christ is not a true Christian, yet I don't know him well enough, but he needs to sharpen up his witnessing tool because he is digging up his own whole... :twitch

[Pooch]

A man once jumped off of a boat, and was struggling wildy to stay afloat, destined to drown.

2 passengers witnessed this.

The first said "What are you doing you idiot!? Don't you know that the water is deep and you can't swim? I'm up here on the boat where you should be, why did you do such a stupid stunt? Are you brain dead? Here, take this life preserve and get back in here!" Whereby the man said "No thanks, I'd rather just drown than listen to you".

The second said "I will help you, here reach for this"; and after he pulled him up, he calmly explained the hazards of what he had done. The poor man had just slipped and was very grateful for the help and promised to be more careful.

Which passenger would we be? Both passengers claim to be Christians on the boat. Keep searching, there are many like #2.

Pooch

[katt]

The ugliest thing on earth is a so-called Christian w/no compassion..there are more of them than any I do believe..another thing I believe is..

The kindest Christians on earth are yet to come..they will be The Tribulation Saints..