I was sitting here thinking about a myriad of my daily reading
and my written reflections on the various subjects. I keep coming back to the
words compassion and empathy because they are the cornerstones of this thing we
call faith. They are also the essence of what the enemy uses to erode our faith;
I say this because compassion and empathy must be tempered by God. Too much of
any ingredient will either appeal to our sense of pride or our sense of
hurt...we like to call them narcissism or co-dependency.
I am more concerned with the narcissism because we love the
good "self-made" stories. We
buy into the material because material things distract us from our character
defects. We like to think that the temporal defines us. The "I did
this" mindset will never allow you
to focus on the "I was blessed".
Paul addressed the lack of empathy and narcissism of the
people of his day in 2 Timothy 3:
1-7
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will
come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving,
unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors,
headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having
a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For
of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible
women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always
learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ....
MY God !!!! Can you imagine what it would be like to never
come to the knowledge of the truth?! A state of perpetual blaming, a perpetual
state of low self esteem, a perpetual state of surrounding yourself with "yes
men" or people you have to take care of because YOU need to feel validated
and better than. Worst of all, a state of perpetually reaching for God and
never really grasping because the resentments weigh you down or pride has
imprisoned you.......
I have been humbled in ways unimaginable to some....much of my
humility as well as my humiliation was by choice. I can tell you that the
situations were not always easy, as a matter of fact, some of them resulted in
some long-term soul searching and pain...but whatever the case may be, I
learned from it all.
I learned that I am human. I learned that I am fraught with
frailties, fear and insecurities. But, I also learned that God grace is
sufficient. I learned that in spite of all my stuff...God cares and God move on
my behalf. I have learned that I'm stronger than I think. I have learned that I
have compassion. I have learned that I am empathetic...and most important I
have learned that I have an enormous capacity to love IN SPITE OF...
John 13: 33- 35 …33 "Little
children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said
to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' 34
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I
have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men
will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
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