Becoming HIS Tapestry

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OH… THOSE ‘ONE ANOTHER(S)’!

Hey friends, how are you today? We began our day a little cooler than normal this morning for which I am very thankful.  Our days have been hot, to say the least.   Can you believe June is on its way out? I can’t believe six months of the year have flown past! Where did the time go? I had so many plans at the beginning of the year that have fallen to the wayside.  I must admit, my time is not always well spent.  Somedays I allow the distractions, especially on the days when I have too much to do.  

At the beginning of 2017, I added Proverbs 31:26, to my life verses.  Would you like me to quote it?  What is the purpose of a life verse if one does not memorize it? Here, I am typing it from memory: “She opens her mouth with wisdom and on her lips is the law of kindness”.

Do you know, the first thing to go, when I am not walking with the Lord?  My relationship with people!  That’s usually the first thing to suffer.  I get impatient with people, I get frustrated with them, I don’t want them too close, I need them to ‘do’ and then ‘go’. I can always tell where I am spiritually, by my relationship with others.  I love my own company; I like activities I can do on my own.  I like to read, I like to run, I enjoy solitude… Speaking in a group of more than five people is out of my comfort zone and crowds usually make me uncomfortable.  Yet, do you know, what the Lord has called me to do? Yes… you guessed it! He has called me to teach! God has a sense of humor!  

The Lord revealed something to me about Himself, a few years ago.  I know I should have known this already.  But it came as a new thing! Ready for it? THE LORD LOVES PEOPLE! I know right? Shocking! He does not love just me!  And He also said, ‘if I love Him, I will love His people’.  Wow! What a revelation! Does God really expect me to love even those who are really, really, unlovable?  Do you know that those who have not surrendered their lives over to Jesus Christ as their Savior are His people too? Are you telling me, Lord, I can’t be ‘done’ with people? 

So much of our spiritual growth depends on our relationship with ‘one another’.  Be kind to one another (Eph. 4:32), live at peace with one another (Rom. 12:18), forgive one another (Mark 11:25), be patient with one another (Eph. 4:2), bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2), pray for one another (James 5:16) and so many other ‘one another’.  This walk with the Lord is about community as much as it is an individual journey.  I sometimes think my relationship with the Lord would be perfect if there were no ‘one another’.  But unfortunately, it is ‘iron that sharpens iron’ right.  We need each other; one another is a necessity for our growth.  It is when someone does something offensive to me, that I learn to forgive.  It is when someone is in need that I learn to give.  It is when someone is sorrowful that I learn to grieve with them and be their comfort.  I need the ‘one another’ in my life in order the obey the Word of God and it’s for my good, even though it may not feel like that at the time.  

You see, the thing is… I have this ‘people expectation’ thing in my mind.  I expect these particular behaviors and attitudes and actions from them and sometimes they fall short! How dare they!  So back to the first paragraph… I prefer solidarity because people disappoint.  They inflict pain.  Why should I choose people over a ‘good book’? 

I know what you’re thinking now.  You’re thinking, “who does she think, she is”?  Or maybe, you’re thinking, “she thinks she’s better than others”.  And the sad thing is… you would be right!  When I get impatient, frustrated, and annoyed at others, it stems from a warped relationship with the Lord.  I’ve laid down my armor, instead of suiting up.  I depended on people to control my actions toward them, instead of trusting the Lord.  

Forgive me Lord, help me to demonstrate your love for me, by loving others and implementing Proverbs 31:26.   Do you get impatient, frustrated, and annoyed at others? Why?

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28 responses to “OH… THOSE ‘ONE ANOTHER(S)’!”

  3. Thank you for this. As you said, iron sharpens iron and my iron needed to be sharpened. I felt the conviction of this. I, too, would prefer to be by myself, but God has called us to community and not only with Him. Thank you for listening to Him in posting this ❤️

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  5. I can relate to this. As I am aging and my energy and strength grows less, I have to fight against the temptation to just sit down and read and watch my favorite movies and forget about the world. But I continue to remind myself that you may retire from a career, but you never retire from being a child of God and the need to share his love and his word to others.

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  7. Yes, God does have a sense of humor. When I took a little test for “motive gifts” (I think that’s what they were called…) I scored high in everything but “leadership” and “organization.” So, what did the Lord call me to do next? I was asked to be chairman of the Christian Women’s Club in our town! When I said I was no good at leadership and organization, the lady smiled and said, “We learn by doing.” (I ended up loving it, by the way.)

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  8. You say: “When I get impatient, frustrated, and annoyed at others, it stems from a warped relationship with the Lord.” I THOUGHT you were going to say, “When I get impatient, frustrated, and annoyed at others, it stems from a warped sense of who’s at fault!” Too often I’m ready to blame the other person instead of realizing it’s MY lack of compassion, understanding, grace, and patience that’s the problem! Also appreciate that verse you shared–from memory (!)–found in Proverbs 31:26. That’s a good one to focus on, for sure. With you, Brenda, I pray I might express God’s love (which sometimes might mean tough love) to those around me!

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  9. My therapist tells me- discomfort equals growth. Not always a big fan of that saying lol
    Jesus gives us those stretching experiences for us to grow from like having a woman from a southern climate move to upstate New York where it snows 🙂

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  11. What an excellent post, Brenda, filled with truth! I, too, push people away when my spiritual valves are shut off. I need to be open to people and their needs just as God is always open to hear us. I’m reblogging this, my friend, so that more can see it. Blessings!

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