Been thinking this week. How long should we put up with nonsense for the sake of the kingdom?How often should we turn the other cheek? How does that talk of forgiving over and over again chime with shaking the dust off our feet when we're not welcome.And how long would Jesus have kept at it if he hadn't been crucified after 3 years?
What is grace - is it smiling benignly when you want to say what you really think? Or is it speaking the truth in love and doing a lot of damage?
And when you know folk are just so switched off and apathetic is it even worth losing sleep over or wasting energy working it out?
Lots of questions. Would love some answers.
What would Jesus do,
ReplyDeleteJesus would give YOU a big hug and tell you he loves you.
Stay strong and do it for Jesus, one soul at a time out of a thousand rejections
Now sit down with a coffee, close your eyes for a few seconds and enjoy a hug from Jesus.
I don't think I have given any answers but you will at least get a coffee and a hug!!!!!!!!, now smile
I have a book to which a great friend introduced me and it helped me a lot. Philip Yancey "What's So Amazing About Grace?".????
ReplyDeleteYou do more good than you credit yourself with, Liz.
Coffee and a hug sounds an excelent idea - Tim Horton left a wonderfull legacy! Your contributers are so wise.
R
Andy, lots of wisdom - and great hugs. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteRonnie, Have to keep coming back to Yancey - needs to sink in more - but thanks to folks like you I'm sure it will. Living and breathing grace - the only way to go.
Hi Liz -
ReplyDeleteMet one of your soon-to-be-former elders at a wedding I conducted yesterday - a guy called Archie. It was his niece I was marrying.
Hope you're coping with the boxes. We reckon we're going to have to stay in St Hacket's for the rest of our lives because we simply can't face moving ever again....
Blessings
FBL
Hi Liz, We ve been pondering your question and it's a hard one. We have been looking for answers and found a clip on youtube which inspired us a great deal, it's caled mother teresa u2/grace. I think god finds for us a place where we are most needed and he always knows beter than us. Please watch it and tell us what you think. Love linda and Helen
ReplyDeleteLinda, Helen,
ReplyDeletethanks for looking that up. so my next question is - when is it time to "give up" and take the grace elsewhere because its not being received where you are. I know that God's grace is unending and i'm sure ours should be too but sometimes it may be that our grace (that God gives anyway) is better used elsewhere - or better received elsewhere and we need to recognise the nudge to move on rather than be miserable for the sake of the kingdom.
The shake the dust off your feet part of the gospel has always confused me, could this be jesus saying this? i could not put together grace with this part of the gospel. After thinking about it a lot do you think that jesus was saying when it's time to move always go forward dont think of what could have been or should have been, don;t worry about what did or did not happen, just move forward. I can't imagine jesus saying this in an angry way it surely must have been in a way of not holding on to anything that may hurt us.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think that's it. Its about not carrying the hurt on to the next stage of the journey. Fresh opportunities deserve fresh starts, unburdened by bitterness or resentment.
ReplyDeleteWOW!God IS good
ReplyDelete