Please note that this blog entry has been edited a few times since original posting.
I got through nine pages of this thread on Wrongplanet.net where the OP asked "Who are the Self-Proclaimed Nice Guys?". Decided I had enough half way through that ninth page. I read some interesting comments. One poster pointed out that Christians think they are entitled to love because they grew up believing that God will love them. Well... here is my take on that because love involves a lot of forgiveness.
Later on after writing this entry, I finished reading that thread and realized that this blog is appropriate considering the topics of conversation. Being forgiving is very difficult and many people won't forgive a person that laments or is angry all the time, or is simply out for themselves. Yet, some of these type of people who lament or are angry claim to be nice guys. I should know, I was once like that when I was younger---> "how come you're dating that guy when he treats you like that? I would be much nicer to you." (I pull the disappearing act the next day, repeat those words in a week or two)
I'm not sure how many people ever truly understand the love of God, or accepting Christ as their saviour. Having just read through the book of Job (still have a few chapters to go in that book, and I think this is a great story), I noticed that a blameless man (Job) who never did wrong to anyone became the victim of some bad things happening in his life. The story reveals that God made a deal with Satan at the begining of that story because Satan wanted to prove that Job would curse against the Lord if bad things happened. (Words are mine to illustrate the point) God said to Satan "Do what you will, but don't kill the man."
Of course, Job lost his livestock, lost the respect of his friends and family, people tried to manipulate him, his wife made fun of him for having faith in God, and Job got sick. A few friends came to speak to him, but all sat in silence with Job for a week before Job spoke up. Job lamented on how he never did anything wrong and that God must be punishing him for something, but for what? His friends assumed he sinned and must repent. His friends insisted that Job didn't know God. However, Job wouldn't repent as he had not cursed against God.
I took a break before finishing the book of Job and had started this blog entry between readings. I still found the message of forgiveness applied. The Lord spoke to Job and Job replied. The three friends never spoke truth about the Lord and Job did. Although Job had never seen God before the end of this story, he had heard of the Lord and believed in him. Job never lost faith and spoke truth of the Lord and was rewarded for it despite lamenting on his lost fortunes. God had in fact rewarded Job for not cursing in him. Satan had lost his bet.
Moral of what I am trying to say: There are some people in this world that will treat you like crap and it wont be your fault as to why they do it. People like to tempt us and we all know this. People like to get you to do things that are not in your best interest, but may be in theirs. As soon as they got what they want, you are gone and treated as if you were a nobody and never existed. Despite this, some of the people that manipulate us and treat us like crap say they are doing it because they "love us." I have a far better understanding of love recently, and that kind of love may be self-centred, but sure shows me that I am not loved.
But you do have the choice to forgive people for slighting you, or being bitter and resentful and angry. I, like Job, got sick when I chose the route of anger and resentment and found myself making poor judgment calls. Sometimes I would choose to keep myself from speaking as Job did for a week. This is not healthy for a person at all to not speak, but to keep their words to themselves. Trying to understand forgiveness was the better option. I chose to take that route and felt healthier afterwards.
Also remember that people choose to forgive on their terms and that you shouldn't necessarily be begging forgiveness. People will come back if you show a forgiving nature as well. Not all people that hurt you mean any harm.
No comments:
Post a Comment