Jeneric Jeneralities ~ by JenIG

Who knows, it could be that i'm just tremendously hormonal lately, but golly i cannot believe how rude/mean/ungracious/unkind/impatient/uncaring/ungrateful/expectant/ people are.  Women in particular.  Christian women to be even more specific.  It's so disturbing.  I deal with many many people on a daily basis who claim Christ and it has been overly disheartening lately at the attitudes and actions of some of these ladies who claim Christ.  It makes me sick and sad, and offended, and then mad… and then a tempation to become bitter starts to set in.  My friend said that Christians are absolutely no different than the world…. we are all fallen, shameful sinners who simply rely on the grace of God.  And we all fail and we all offend, and we all act ungracious, or pharisaical or unkind or self-righteous during our lives.  Man i DO NOT want to be that.  My husband says that these ungracious women usually seem to see themselves as very spiritual and even “find themselves too godly to let their sinful husbands control or lead them”.  He says most of the time you can trace a connection between controlling women who won't follow their husbands as women who are generallye unpleasant (at the least) and downright intolerable to be around (as the norm).  One of my biggest fears is becoming one of these bitter, self-righteous, ungracious women.  Within my walk over the last 12 years have I been a nasty ungracious offensive woman to someone or other?  I imagine I have.  How I hate my sin nature.  But do I hate it enough to truly follow Christ with discipline and obedience?  Lord help me.  It is impossible on my own.  I want to be remembered as kind, slow to anger, one who isn't easily offended, willing to help, patient, gentle and stable.  Do you struggle with this?  Do mean people ruin your day, or are you able to just walk ahead without it dragging you down?  The power people have to “discourage” or “encourage” is pretty amazing.

June 10th, 2005 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

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  1. Janelle said,

    on June 10th, 2005 at 11:51 pm

    Untitled Comment

    Jen, I think what can happen to people after they've been a Christian for a while is they reach this point where it's as if they've "arrived." They've got everything figured out and know everything about everything and they are doing everything the right way (or so they think). They no longer yield to the Holy Spriit's conviction in their life, they're set in their spiritual ways, so to speak. They become stagnant. I so don't want to ever become like that. I want to be someone whom the Holy Spirit is constantly challenging, I really am open to change. I want to be humble, loving, kind and gracious. I want others to see the Holy Spirit living and working in me.

  2. underthesky said,

    on June 11th, 2005 at 3:48 am

    you wrote

    "One of my biggest fears is becoming one of these bitter, self-righteous, ungracious women."

    I know you, and you won't, because you are aware of it. That, and you wouldn't be that way for long because we would smack the apcray out of you to wake you up. Oh yes, and because your dear husband wouldn't stand for it for two seconds!

    In seriousness though, God lives in a real way in your lives and you are both a beautiful and humble example for us.

    Warmly,

    Kate

  3. RosesareRed said,

    on June 11th, 2005 at 5:33 am

    Untitled Comment

    Nothing to say but I TOTALLY AGREE with you.

    ~Michele

  4. spunkyhomeschool said,

    on June 11th, 2005 at 6:53 am

    I tagged you on books

    You'll have to read the go to my blog to find the questions.

    Spunky

  5. EmptyNestMom said,

    on June 11th, 2005 at 11:40 am

    Disturbed Christians

    Jen,

    I understand your complaint from the other side. I was one of those "distressing and disturbed Christians" and still fight the urge to give into my flesh. The only advice I have to give you is "just wait." One day, like me, they will encounter some truly difficult situation and have to re-examine themselves. God has a way of getting "chips" off and it's not always pleasant to go through. For me, it was watching my daughter become what I was. Sowing and reaping, you know. Anyway, God used her behavior to show me what I was like from another person's point of view. It wasn't pleasant!

    Let me say I'm sorry to you for those who have made your day miserable. Perhaps there are people out there that are hurt from something I said or did and I don't know who they are, so saying it to you will help me make amends for my past ignorant behavior.

    Have a wonderful day and keep smiling. You have a very nice one!

  6. Anonymous said,

    on June 11th, 2005 at 2:36 pm

    Something that helps me

    In Lisa Whelchel's book, Creative Correction, she tells a story about comforting one of her children whose feeling had been hurt. She told him "Broken people do broken things" That has stuck with me and most folks around me hear it a lot now. Mean people do get on my nerves. I can't imagine where they get off thinking they can go around treating people the way they do. I'm constantly trying to figure out their personality styles. It helps me to understand their motives. Another great book is Spirt-Controlled Temperment. It helps identify normal strengths and weaness of different personalities and how to pray that the Holy Spirit be in control of those weaker areas. Very interesting.

    Hang in there,

    Nancy

  7. tn3jcarter said,

    on June 11th, 2005 at 2:37 pm

    Oops

    Sorry I forgot to log in. That last comment was me.

    Nancy again

  8. JenIG said,

    on June 11th, 2005 at 2:57 pm

    Thanks!

    I appreciate all the encouraging comments. It's also amazine what a good night's sleep can do. Things have a way of losing their *sharpness* in the morning.

    🙂

  9. Anonymous said,

    on June 11th, 2005 at 8:58 pm

    It doesn't seem to bother me much

    There are people who seem to offend us at times. While I cannot control them I can reason through my response to them. When an offense occurs I have a few choices I can…

    Overlook it. It is to the glory of the Lord ot overlook an offense

    Repay evil for good. I usually pray a silent prayer for them to help with the possiblity of bitterness and seek ways to bless them.

    Go to them and seek to resolve it

    The first two are the preferred option but if that is not possible then going to them is necessary even if uncomfortable. Open rebuke is better than secret love. I am grateful for the times someone comes and tells me the things that they find offensive it helps me grow and learn. We all have weeds in our gardens. But sometimes it takes a pair of resh eyes to see them.

    One option I cannot take is to talk about the problem with others before going to them. If I do I compound the situation with my own sin of gossip. Then I would have to go to them and confess and seek forgiveness even if they have yet to seek or even know about their wrong to me. Humbling to say the least. I have had to do it.

    Mathew 18:15 is a great section of scripture to help resolve conflict. But like I said I think the preferred option is to overlook it. Here's how I taught my children to overlook something. Write the offense on a piece of paper and tie it to the end of a balloon that is filled with helium. Then let go of the string. And watch the offense fly away never to be retrieved again. Pray and go on with your life.

    Spunky

    Edited by spunkyhomeschool on Jun. 11, 2005 at 7:00 PM

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