After many emails asking me what I was looking for and really searching it out with Christ, I wrote this paper. I decided to post it on here bcause it really has helped refocus my life back towards Him. I would ask that you please read it with an open mind. I would love feedback. I pray that you all have a wonderful day, filled with Christ.
In Christ,
Mary
To love someone, as a child I know says is to want God for them. To love Christ in them. To love one another as a brother or sister in Christ first as another friend says, not getting caught up in the distraction of attraction. So putting the two ideas together...what if we viewed a brother or sister one step further as a child of God first. When we look at a physical child we are quick to love them. We look past annoying habits or immaturities they may have because we see and love the innosense of their kept design. We are less fearful of a child hurting us. We see a child and want Christ for them. Our intentions are not skewed by the possibilties of what could happen instead of truly desiring a 1st Corinthians kind of love. I wouldn't have selfish desires when looking at Scarlet (my neice). I want to see her grow in Christ. To be centered and focused on Him. I want her to avoid the same pitfalls I have. I want to see her design kept in tact for the Lord. It is easier for adults to look at children with a 1st Corinthians love than it is for adults to look at other adults in that mannor. Why? Because we are not truly seeking Christ in them. We are trying to fix them, or love them in a way we are not even aware of. Our hearts must be on Christ. Our lives must be surrendered to Him in order to even understand how to love this way. Intentions can be good, but truly look at the root of an intention. Is it self-seeking or is it focused on what Christ in us needs it to be focused on? Once we are able to view even a physical adult as one of God's precious little children, then for those us still learning this concept can we start to view someone as a brother or sister in Christ as well. If you feel as though distractions may come about again, look back to the child you originally viewed within that person. Normal Christ seeking people will not be able to corrupt that with their own desires, with a selfish, self-seeking love. In a sense it almost trains us to view all of God's children as just that...a child. Not to be preyed upon or taken advantage of, not to be manipulated or have their heads filled with confusion. You can not look at a little child or even a newborn and have malicious or perverse thoughts if you have Christ in you. You love that child, you know that child, so what changes as we become adults? Our designs do, we get touched by the world. We need to retrain our brains to view each other as Christ did, as His children. Then can we begin to see Christ in them or know how to reach to them. When our thoughts are pure and intentions correct then God can use us more effectively. He can allow the Holy Spirit to enter into a clean body/mind. How can the Holy Spirit guide us, dwell within us if we ourselves are not living in truth? Christ cannot live in a filthy temple (our body). If our eyes and hearts are not truly set upon Christ, how can we lead? It would be the blind leading the blind off a cliff to certain death. A wise man continually seeks wisdom, truth...Christ. We need to be wise. We have a responsibility before Christ to love one another as He did.
I originally posted this in the wrong thread.:rolleyes:
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Most excellently put! And most urgently needed to be heard. We maneuver through life with our senses and all too often it is our "primary" tool when we make "judgement calls". So while our hearts may be telling us that this person is a Brother or Sister in Christ...our Senses may be feeling (or wishing) something else.
It is rather like when Christ admonished people not to think carnally ( "my words are of the Spirit...not of the Flesh) when He spoke to them of Spiritual things (The Body and Blood od Christ).
I forget this...and I thank you for reminding me.
Mother Teresa said that she saw Christ in everyone she met.
Thanks again! I will tape this to my bathroom mirror.
I am 31 and have never been married (by the grace of God) and does possibly want kids. I have never been married because of just what I wrote. Marriage is something very sacred to God and to me. I have seen too many people get married with the solution of divorce in the back of their minds just in case it doesnt work out. Marriage, if that is what God is calling me to, is something that I take very seriously. I would not want to meet someone with the intentions of them possibly being a spouse. We are to die to our flesh and the more that we do that, the more Christ can dwell within us. So ultimately it would be Christ in someone that I would be attracked to, but first I would need to view them as a child of God, then a brother, then a husband who is spiritually submitted to Christ as their husband. Marriage isn't this romantic thing that most people an emphasis on. It was designed that a husband shall love his wife and a wife respect her husband. But that is according to His design for marriage, not what we as society have made it. Marriage was created first and foremost to further His Kingdom...the happiness, the love, the intimacy those are all wonderful benefits to doing it His way. All relationships whether it be marriage, family, frienships should not be horizontal. By that I mean picture a triangle in any of your relationships. God being the point on top of that triangle, you being a point on the bottom half and whoever you are having any kind of relationship with on the other bottom half. Your relationship should first go up to God (being vertical) and back through God down to the other person. Too many times we think we can figure out the relationship without God and go straight to the other person (being horizontal). This is not how God designed it to be if we are to follow His design for us. Picture yourself as a bottle of dust, because ultimately that is what we are. Can a bottle of dust love someone? No, its just a bottle of dust. Now if Christ is living within that bottle of dust, He can love someone. But that is my point, without Christ dwelling within us, how can we think that we can love someone. Doesn't God love us more than anything. Do you honestly think we as imperfect humans can love another human more than God could love that human? No, absolutely not. So that is why it crucial that Christ come first in our lives. I have chosen not be married because I want to make certain that ALL my intentions for getting married are correct. The same goes for having children. So hopefully this clears up my intentions.
As for me bartending...LOL, well after 2 1/2 years of doing that and being mocked, ridiculed, and written up for talking about God to my customers...God finally released me from that job. I quit back in Nov and have decided to go into full time ministry. I have 4 AA's in early childhood education with a focus on special needs and plan on going back to school for Christian counciling. I have always wanted to give free counciling for those who cannot afford it. I am not worried if I make money or not...I completely trust Him to provide for me. And lastly I do not put what city I live in, because as a single woman, you have to be cautious. I have had stalkers in the past (there are police reports to back that up) and it is wise to not devulge too much information to people that you dont know. So again, I hope this clears things up for you. If you have anymore questions or feedback...I would encourage it. Until then, take care and God bless.
I don't know what that was supposed to be but it sounded very much like cynicism. If it was you need to let that go. It's like spreading poison. Be better than that.
Thank you Remp, I appreciate it. I don't mean to offend anyone and if I have or caused someone to stumble...then I do apologize for that. What I wrote is what God revieled to me when I have struggled with will I ever get married or have kids. His answer to me was to look at and love everyone as Christ has loved them. This process has allowed me to stop focusing on any potentials or possibilities and do what I should be doing...focusing on Him. It has made me realize that I wouldn't be looking for Christ in someone if I didn't have Christ in my own life. Scripture is the truth. In scripture it says that we are to be mirror in Christ's reflection.
James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty (perfect law of liberty is truth & love) and contunues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work,this one will be blessed in what he does.
What that is telling me is that I had better love everyone as Christ did and a perfect example of that kind of love was written by Paul in 1st Corinthians 13. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes al things, endures all things.
In the past when I would look at someone as a potential husband, I was not looking at them in the way listed above. More than anything I would look at them with "self-seeking" desires. I had to be learn to love Christ first foremost in that way before I could even consider a relationship/courtship with someone. If I am supposed to be a mirror unto Christ, then the person God has inteneded for me (if that is even His will) would also have to be a mirror reflecting Christ. It is not about fuzzy warm romantic feelings (yes, God gave us emotions and feelings...but we are not to be ruled by them) it is about furthering His Kingdom for His Glory. I am personally guilty of wanting my will for my life and not surrendering my for His. When we are able to truly have Christ dwelling within us, then we have no room for our own wills. That is why I have not been married, in God's mercy and grace He kept me from that before I was ready. I don't want to do anything outside His will even if that means I spend the rest of my life alone. I had to come to that place and trust in Him, that He loves me more than any human being possibly could and He will guide me to do His will. Any relationships are a glorious and added benefit to my life.
Christ gave me this wonderful ability to "know" the Truth when I hear it.
It's sort of like when the shepherd would leave his sheep in a community pen with other sheep, while he was away from them. Upon his return...all he had to do was "call their names" and His Sheep would recognize His Voice (His Word).
I "recognize" The Word in SongBird's posting. She (or He) may be Nigerian...Siberian...HyperBerian or Klingon!! It does not matter to me. I will follow that person who speaks does words because they Are Truth! If this person Veers from The Truth...then I will question who they are.
The mistakes I have made in my past were simply because I let my eyes guide me. Because I let my flesh guide me. This time I am letting God guide me and I am Placing HIM squarely In beTween me and the woman I will make my wife.
Ms. Songbird makes a very wondeful point as to where we need to begin our quest...with finding Jesus in all of us and then moving on from there.
Seek first The Kingdom of God...find Jesus in that person's Heart first...find God in their words before you except any words of praise or Love from them...See...Witness...The Holy Spirit in their Walk before you align yourself with them and your Union will be Blessed by God and be a Joy to you and all of those around you.
Miss Nigerian Scammer...you have My Undivded Attention!
I not ashamed to say that I am going to defend Mary, I cant find Wonkatonka either, but often ladies post a fictious name on their profile, like somewhere , alaska, doesn't mean she is up to something. I have been instant messaged and e-mailed by dozens of scammers , 3 or 4 on here, the first clue is they have a sob story, usually come on right away, and in broken english invite you to go chat on yahoo.
I dont see this in Mary, and I think you are judging her past, if you had taken the time to get to know her , you would have found out that Christ Has changed her life , but like John Newton, who by the way stayed as a slaver for at least a year after finding Christ. I think you missed her point, do we judge a person by their past or their present relationship with Christ, Christ in You the hope of Glory, Joel up in Alaska said that!!!!
dear randy, although youd make a good detective hehe
callin someone a scammer that you dont know for a fact is one is surely not nice and is very slanderous if you are wrong.. but its not nice to do that here anyways ya know... so please dont do that anymore.. thats very insulting..
thanks for your cooperation randy..
oh and i can tell you that ive spoken to sistersong when she came here before and she was a very nice young lady then .. she wasnt a scammer.. just a nice young lady..
oh and sister im glad to hear youve moved on from that job.. and that youre smart enuff to not let just everyone know where you live, online..
