There is no advice in this post. I don’t expect you to read this and have an epiphany. I am simply sharing. I hope that you read this and at the very least say hmm.
So there are people who look at me and ask where all this GOD talk comes from. I didn’t speak like this in grade school or high school. My answer; "When I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things." I Corinthians 13:11. So their comeback is, “Well then why do avoid certain people? Why don’t you associate with certain folks? Isn’t immature to hold childhood grudges?” Well of course it is immature and I have given my opinion on forgiveness. How can I rightly ask GOD to forgive me when I am unwilling to forgive? I hold no grudges. I wish no one ill will. I can forgive and step away. If a person is detrimental to me, if a person brings negative energy to me, if a person is beyond my ability to save, I step away. Step away and pray for them. I pray for those who have wronged me. I pray for those I have wronged. I pray for forgiveness and I pray for the strength to forgive.
But this is not a post about forgiveness. This is about the company I keep. I know the story of Jesus Christ eating with sinners and tax collectors. (See Mark 2:13-17) When people saw Jesus associating with sinners they questioned His disciples. When Jesus heard about this He said the healthy don’t need a doctor. The infirmed do. That’s a paraphrase of course. I first understood this to mean that I can hang around anyone, anytime. However I am not Jesus. I possess no power like Jesus. Therefore I have to use discernment to know who I should spend time with. This is why I have to step away from certain individuals. Please do not interpret my actions as being hateful or mean. I have made a conscious decision to avoid certain influences. I still face temptation though. I pray for strength all the time. I ask myself if I love sin more than I love GOD. This questions has become the focal point of my decision making process. I still fall short though. I am glad GOD is my judge and jury.
I stay away from certain people due to my own weaknesses. I stay away from other because they do not bring ANYTHING positive to the table. In fact they do just the opposite. I tell you this today though; if you hold out your hand and ask me for help I will not turn my back on you.
I can see it now. Some will read this and think I am being self righteous. I do not think I am better than the next guy. I just know what is and is not good for me. To a certain extent anyway. I still have a lot to learn. This is why the ability to discern is so important. I can learn from anyone. So I hope that in avoiding certain things I do not miss a teachable moment.
So there are people who look at me and ask where all this GOD talk comes from. I didn’t speak like this in grade school or high school. My answer; "When I was a child I spoke as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things." I Corinthians 13:11. So their comeback is, “Well then why do avoid certain people? Why don’t you associate with certain folks? Isn’t immature to hold childhood grudges?” Well of course it is immature and I have given my opinion on forgiveness. How can I rightly ask GOD to forgive me when I am unwilling to forgive? I hold no grudges. I wish no one ill will. I can forgive and step away. If a person is detrimental to me, if a person brings negative energy to me, if a person is beyond my ability to save, I step away. Step away and pray for them. I pray for those who have wronged me. I pray for those I have wronged. I pray for forgiveness and I pray for the strength to forgive.
But this is not a post about forgiveness. This is about the company I keep. I know the story of Jesus Christ eating with sinners and tax collectors. (See Mark 2:13-17) When people saw Jesus associating with sinners they questioned His disciples. When Jesus heard about this He said the healthy don’t need a doctor. The infirmed do. That’s a paraphrase of course. I first understood this to mean that I can hang around anyone, anytime. However I am not Jesus. I possess no power like Jesus. Therefore I have to use discernment to know who I should spend time with. This is why I have to step away from certain individuals. Please do not interpret my actions as being hateful or mean. I have made a conscious decision to avoid certain influences. I still face temptation though. I pray for strength all the time. I ask myself if I love sin more than I love GOD. This questions has become the focal point of my decision making process. I still fall short though. I am glad GOD is my judge and jury.
I stay away from certain people due to my own weaknesses. I stay away from other because they do not bring ANYTHING positive to the table. In fact they do just the opposite. I tell you this today though; if you hold out your hand and ask me for help I will not turn my back on you.
I can see it now. Some will read this and think I am being self righteous. I do not think I am better than the next guy. I just know what is and is not good for me. To a certain extent anyway. I still have a lot to learn. This is why the ability to discern is so important. I can learn from anyone. So I hope that in avoiding certain things I do not miss a teachable moment.
