Have you ever been around someone who was so negative and so bitter, complainy, just not a happy camper (besides me, there are others :0 ). Do you see their pain and empathize or do you just get anoyed? Do you really listen to what they are saying? Do you hear the despair in their voice? Do they really think what they are saying is true? Do you agree with what they are saying? (tragically, often we see people hurting and let them go, because we decide, this is a consequence of their poor choices) But, what does God say about each of us? We are created in His image. Is that loving, kind, patience, longsuffering. Oops! you just made a selfish and poor choice, you are not doing right either. We are to encourage each other. Restore each other to our walk with God. God does not condemn, why should we condemn each other?
If they were saying these things about anyone else would you allow them to continue? Self abuse is wrong too. We are to be kind to ourselves, loving, patient, forbearing with ourselves. When we are not being all that we can be, when we have dropped our banner of victory, we need our Christian brothers and sisters to pick it up, pick us up and help us get back to waving and serving our Lord and Savior. The world is more than efficient of tearing us down and "keeping us in our place", but we need to be reminded we are not from this place, and we are Sons and Daughters of the King our place is the clouds with Him, when He calls us, until then we are ambassadors of the King to help and comfort his people. We are each equip with talents, gifts, skills and knowledge (EVERYONE!!! even the foolish and lazy have gifts!!!) that are to complement others in the body, we need each and every person. EVERYONE is important to God, He gave his son so that ALL WHO BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, all! includes the moany, groany, lazy, foolish-beyond words, arrogant, prideful, selfish, power hog, ect.... If you do not like them, God LOVES!! them, and includes them in the ALL! and nothing can separate them from God, not even their behavior, choices, and endless complaining. God has a plan for them and will turn all the tears, broken dreams, failed attempts, and pain into good. (GUESS which verses????) {Yep! Jerm 29:11 and Romans 8:28}
"I will thank you for your love and loyalty you have made your name and your word greater than anything Psalm 138:2
This is what an uplifted person first utters, (to God,) once they regain "their place" in the kingdom, once the have the worldly expectations, condemnation, judgment, ridicule, and gloating of others swept off of them and their armor shined.
Take a minute and get this visual in your head: The Armor of the Lord, (Ephesians 6:13-31)
A Knight in shining Armor, the best because it is issued by the King of Kings. Bright and shiny like the silly CD's hanging from peoples rear view mirrors. Sun glissing. There is a light all around the Knight. That is us, when we are fully dressed in the Lord.
Now, the world is tough and our Armor gets marred, scratched and dented but NOTHING!!! penetrates our armor, oh.. we get banged and bruised, dented and bloodied, but nothing can cut us, nothing can separate us, because our Armor is CHRIST!!!!
Let that sink in for a minute!!......................................................................................
Christ is before us, In us, to the right, to the left, behind, ahead, and under neath us!!! We are surrounded by the one who conquerred the grave. What can harm him? (hint: Nothing!!!) What can harm us? ......
Don't let a brother or sister scratch and crawl along. We are called to Walk, strengthened by Christ who is in us, and able to do more than we could ask or think. Stop and pick them up, dust them off, and put there Armor back on. Oh, the stuff does get heavy and we WILL fall, we WILL hurt, the enemy is cunning and craft and will roll things down the mountain toward us, and rain on us and try to rust us up and stop us from marching, but we have friends to squirt us with the ointing oil and help us pull out our dings and regain our stellar shiny appearance.
{Okay this is paraphrazed, but this is what someone did for me, they STOPPED and LISTENED, and LOVED, and then REPROOF ME for disrespecting God's Temple, and Doubting God's Word, they got me to dig in the Word and sift for every promise, every assurance, and Straighted my tattered armor and shined me up. Now I am sharing with you, and you can share with the next person you see without a smile, who is unable to tell you what their gifts are, Look for those that need a touch and take them to Jesus!!}
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