As a person, your character and traits come naturally on how your parents or your environment have influenced you. You are privileged if you grew up with your parents and was brought up in an upscale environment. In my case I can say I had a good childhood until I was 8 years old. That was when my mother was still living and things were easily provided for us. As young as I was I knew life will never be the same again after she passed away. My relationship with the Lord was springing out. I was praying harder and trusting Him more in all the things I did. I am not saying I had a perfect relationship with Him but He knew me more than any of the people surrounding me. He knew my bouts, hurts, apprehensions, dreams as young as I was. I cried to Him often about life on how juvenile I was mostly about who I was to ran to when I needed an adult to supervise me, to encourage me, to tell me that life is a challenge. Nobody was there. Although God used a few people to reach out to me and have left good impressions but still I felt I was alone only with the Lord. Most ministers I talked to said God is the best companion. You can never go wrong. I am glad I listened to them.
After all these experiences, I just noticed one thing about people who grew up privileged in life. They have the ability to intimidate you by easily telling you that you are this and you are that. There were times I tried living up with their expectations. I tried because they said it's the right thing to do. Although I have no problems with peer pressures. Heck, I don't care how people live and what they have because I know my limitations and capabilities. It's just that these people are so called Christians. I remember a line from a movie that says, without suffering there would be no compassion." These people have no idea how I struggled in life for them to just tell me what they want for me to have and to do. I doubt if they've even experienced sleeping and walking on streets without any meals for three days! If they've worked like a labor guy at piers! As a Christian it is important you have a good relationship with Christ but you shouldn't forget that a reflection on how good your relationship with the Lord is on how you deal with others just like HE did when HE was on earth dwelling with the people.
I was surprised on how these people condemn and eradicate you from what you thought was a brotherly and sisterly environment. Tough love is not eradicating people or humiliating them. It's dealing with them step by step in a constructive manner to make sure you'd end up still having a harmonious relationship as you continue to serve God together. Nevertheless, I also realized that the Lord has His ways on how to work on this kind of situation... HE allows stuff to happen so that HE will be glorified more. Humility is the keyword. When we humble ourselves before God, He is glorified. When we practice humility in the midst of people treating us like a trash, HE is glorified. Humility is not from us it's the power of God that is enabling us. Self control abides with it. God is always to be glorified. It's the joy of knowing that Jesus really died for me and that He has always been there no matter what.
In the end, God just wants us to be strong, fit and ready when He comes. I am in a situation wherein I am being broken and ready to be molded again into His likeness. He still has a lot of things to mend in me. I am willing and I am ready for I know, MY REDEEMER LIVES.
Check out a version of this song that my father in-law shared to us:
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