I can't stand someone!!!

[Ron]

PO, one thing you are is honest & I don't mean that in a bad way!

I have met a few over the course of my 26 years of living for God that I called my "Grace Builders" (I am sure I am a "Grace Builder) to someone) & it isn't easy.

Faith is not feeling & Love, God's love, is a choice.
Ever had everything go wrong & then try to be thankful for it?
It goes against our human nature.
My nature says, "I like you, if you like me." "You can't stand me, well, then go fly a kite, I can't help it if you have poor taste!"

Jesus loved everyone & I am sure they were not all like the Apostle John who was I believe a little easier to love.
We have to make a choice to be nice, to love, to serve, to be kind!
Prayer, & sheer will power can help us to achieve this.
When I had someone I did not particularly care for, I would try to find ways to be nice, to be kind, to serve, to love that person.
If you act that way toward them it won't be long before your feelings follow.

Honestly praying for them will help as well.
It is hard to pray for someone for God to bless them & harbour ill feelings at the same time!

Sorry, I am rambling!

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Ron

PO, one thing you are is honest & I don't mean that in a bad way!

I have met a few over the course of my 26 years of living for God that I called my "Grace Builders" (I am sure I am a "Grace Builder) to someone) & it isn't easy.

Faith is not feeling & Love, God's love, is a choice.
Ever had everything go wrong & then try to be thankful for it?
It goes against our human nature.
My nature says, "I like you, if you like me." "You can't stand me, well, then go fly a kite, I can't help it if you have poor taste!"

Jesus loved everyone & I am sure they were not all like the Apostle John who was I believe a little easier to love.
We have to make a choice to be nice, to love, to serve, to be kind!
Prayer, & sheer will power can help us to achieve this.
When I had someone I did not particularly care for, I would try to find ways to be nice, to be kind, to serve, to love that person.
If you act that way toward them it won't be long before your feelings follow.

Honestly praying for them will help as well.
It is hard to pray for someone for God to bless them & harbour ill feelings at the same time!

Sorry, I am rambling!

Thanks for the kind compliment, Ron! I am trying my best to be an honest Christian.

This is a good post and I think I need to pray a little more. Truthfully, when I read the part where you said, "If you act that way toward them it won't be long before your feelings follow" - I cringed! Lord, help me!! I'm miles away from where I need to be on this one!

Don't you love the times when you are in a prayer meeting or during the song service and His Spirit just melts your heart and everything in the whole world is all right again?!!!

[Ron]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Thanks for the kind compliment, Ron! I am trying my best to be an honest Christian.

This is a good post and I think I need to pray a little more. Truthfully, when I read the part where you said, "If you act that way toward them it won't be long before your feelings follow" - I cringed! Lord, help me!! I'm miles away from where I need to be on this one!

Don't you love the times when you are in a prayer meeting or during the song service and His Spirit just melts your heart and everything in the whole world is all right again?!!!

Amen! More of Jesus & less of me!
Also, if everyone was honest, all of us struggle with this at one time or another!

I often find myself falling far short of the mark when I compare my character to Jesus!
I am like Paul, "I press toward the mark...." Sound familiar?

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Ron

Amen! More of Jesus & less of me!
Also, if everyone was honest, all of us struggle with this at one time or another!

I often find myself falling far short of the mark when I compare my character to Jesus!
I am like Paul, "I press toward the mark...." Sound familiar?

Yes! "I press toward the mark...!"

"....if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

If I could get a hold of Him like He got a hold of me!!!

P.S. Could you change the "cat" to "act" in your above post? Bad typo! lol

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Ron

PO, one thing you are is honest & I don't mean that in a bad way!

I have met a few over the course of my 26 years of living for God that I called my "Grace Builders" (I am sure I am a "Grace Builder) to someone) & it isn't easy.

Faith is not feeling & Love, God's love, is a choice.
Ever had everything go wrong & then try to be thankful for it?
It goes against our human nature.
My nature says, "I like you, if you like me." "You can't stand me, well, then go fly a kite, I can't help it if you have poor taste!"

Jesus loved everyone & I am sure they were not all like the Apostle John who was I believe a little easier to love.
We have to make a choice to be nice, to love, to serve, to be kind!
Prayer, & sheer will power can help us to achieve this.
When I had someone I did not particularly care for, I would try to find ways to be nice, to be kind, to serve, to love that person.
If you act that way toward them it won't be long before your feelings follow.

Honestly praying for them will help as well.
It is hard to pray for someone for God to bless them & harbour ill feelings at the same time!

Sorry, I am rambling!

C S Lewis says very similar things in his chapter on Love/charity in his book Mere Christianity. I'll try to type some of them out later, but I have to do some running around.

I was having a difficult time with my oldest son. He constantly liked to jab with words, words he knew would be hurtful but thinking he was being funny. It was bothering me so I went to pray and fast for him one day at the church by myself and while praying God allowed me to feel His love toward my son and WOW!! it changed my heart and the offense I felt was gone. Now the things my son does and says, I can look past and not be offended in the way I was before I sought the Lord. I don't like what he says at times but his words don't stick into me like they use to.

We need the love of God shed abroad in our hearts for EVERYONE.