#FamilyCanEqualStruggle [Part 1] 2018.01.10

I love God...

Plain & simple…

I love Him, what He has done in my life, for myself & my son… I love Him to the point where I thank Him, not only for the "great", but also for the "bad" (traffic, cold weather, stumbles, …) He has changed my selfish heart so it’s… not as selfish as before. And I am grateful for His work, time, effort and patience. He has helped me to see not only "me" but "others" as well. I can now begin to see why I am here on this planet, and how I can be used to help bring others to Him. Do you know how awesome that is?!?!

And yet, I still struggle with members of my church family. I mean, I’ve accepted that this will happen… and that it’s not them but for me to learn & grow from. And I guess that’s why today’s blog is covering this… to refresh & remind me and give me the endurance to continue showing the "Jesus in me" towards others.


How do we recharge this battery? What do we remain mindful of? Try this list

Put Them First
Self-denial is the nucleus of love. Love denies self and supports others. But "putting others first" is more than an act of humility, but an act of love. It’s most certainly not an act where we think so little of ourselves, but that we feel so warmly towards our brothers & sisters in Christ that we’re happy to set aside our own interests & preferences so that the other may experience a blessing.


Seek Their Good
Love is an incredible force, that it does more than putting someone else first. One’s selfish tendencies may be destructive, producing a path that may lead to danger, but love will look for their good, their betterment, their advancement. Questions we must ask ourselves (and often, in my case) should be:
  • "How can I personally help my brother\sister do well?"
  • "How can I serve my sister\brother so that they prosper in faith & life?"


Ask For Their Forgiveness/Forgive Them
A great indicator of your love for your brothers & sisters is your willingness to ask for forgiveness when you sin against them, along with your ability to forgive them for the same. Sin weighs down the heart’s owner because we have sinned against the Lord by hurting someone made in His image. And as a people who has been forgiven for far worse than what’s been committed to us, we must most certainly forgive those who sin against us.


Listen To Them
Anger divides but love listens. Just as God hears us when we call to Him, so we must listen to others. We must listen to gain understanding of the truth, and of the one speaking. I mean, how can we "know their needs" & "seek their good" unless we listen.


Include Them
This is a tough one for me. When I find someone who has an apparent issue but won’t talk about it when I address them, they get "put to the side". My thinking is "Why bring shade to the beach?" And yet it goes against what God wants me to do - Be hospitable. Hospitality is the welcoming of others into our life. Love includes - anger divides. It does not dismiss them because they are different or difficult, but urges us to pursue them & offer them a place at our table. Love looks around, sees the uninvolved and welcomes them in.


The conclusion to this post will come tomorrow… ran out of time - Sorry!