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Overcoming Flawed View Of God


Anon

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I find I have problems applying the love of God to my life.....was just talking to a friend who feels the same way but was afraid to ever say anything. I feel like sometimes we have been taught that any appearance of struggling with faith is to be avoided, so people just try to keep up appearances while they struggle on the inside. Why do IFBs feel they have to be so perfect all the time, or else they will be judged harshly? I guess the answer would be because so many DO judge harshly instead of encouraging others...

Yes, that's one of our problems and weaknesses, in that we too often put too much of an emphasis on outward appearances and exceedingly too little upon helping one another face our particular issues and learning to grow in the Lord from the inside out.

 

No doubt many of us are far too quick to lash out at those who dare speak of an area of weakness, doubt, temptation or a besetting sin. This leaves so many fearful to reach out for help, and since they don't know what to do, they try to hide the matter and put up a good appearance in public.

 

Scripture says we are to bear one another's burdens, to share our problems, questions and such with one another, and in love and kindness, with much prayer, help one another.

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You are right. Many time people think they can't be seen to be struggling, but if you look at David and Moses and Elijah you see them very different before God.

I would suggest a study of God's holiness might help you bring things a little into perspective.
How God's holiness affects His other attributes.

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Wow!  Lots of good stuff said, so I'm not going to try and re-say any of it.  I do, however, have some thoughts...

 

Kita, as a woman, we are taught to behave a certain way.  Many times what is left out is the Holy Spirit. Oh, we are told to surrender to the Spirit and allow Him to work in our lives, but we aren't told HOW to.  Other than just do it and you'll see how much good comes from it.  (or we're told how to with a long list of requirements...in other words, work for it!)

 

There is some truth in just being obedient and seeing fruit from it.  But I think one of the problems is that we've built a whole philosophy on just being obedient without learning surrender.  Surrender is based in love - and true obedience is, too.

 

On one side of the spectrum we have the majority of IFB who live right, but don't seem loving.  On the other, we have neo-evangelicals who seem loving but don't live right (and by right, I mean as the Bible decrees, because God does have requirements for us).  But what we need is balance.  And I believe if we have a right view of God and His love, that balance will come.

 

Several good suggestions have been made for study, but might I suggest one that I'm thinking might be a good place to start?  Study about God's love for us.  There are verses throughout the OT and the NT that speak of His love.  Keep a notebook of the verses and record your thoughts as you study them.  After you're done with that, branch out into God's dealings with those He loves.  

 

One of my all-time favorite verses is in the OT. Yes, it's speaking to Israel. But you know what? It's speaking to me, too:

 

"...Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

(Jer. 31:3)

 

We all know that He loved us and sent His Son for us.  But this verse really speaks to me - He loved ME with an everlasting love: nothing I do can stop that love of His!  And because of that everlasting love, He drew me to Him - with that same love.

 

Allow yourself, my precious sister, to revel in His love for you.  He wants that. He truly does.

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