Christian Message Boards: What's wrong with this picture? (If anything)

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Posted by redkermit (Member # 4059) on :

A former co-worker of mine sends out these "daily inspirations". Do you see anything wrong with her most recent statement?

quote:
Rely on the strength and understanding that you possess. Each of us has more of it in us that we can imagine possible. Lord, through faith in You I can face any difficulty and conquer it....Be honest with yourself in every situation. Lord, help me recognize that my needs, feelings and my being are important just as they are in all others.

Posted by yahsway (Member # 3738) on :

Well for starters, rely NOT upon Your own understanding.

"Each of us has more of "IT" in us than we can imagine possible" It would help if she clairified what the "it" is in this statement

"Be honest with yourself in every situation". Okay that sounds alright.

It would have been better (my opinon) to have said Lord help me to recognize OTHERS needs and feelings are just as important as my own.

Some of the statements have a certain air of New age Christianity but I liked the fact that recognition of her Faith in the Lord would help her face and conquer difficulties.

Posted by bygrace (Member # 4556) on :

I agree, we should not be selfish in our prayer, but putting others first. I had a Sunday school teacher actually say something like this just a month or so ago. He said at the end of his lesson...("go home and don't pray for anyone else this week but you, it's ok to do that every once in a while") I did not feel right as soon as he spoke this. I have not been back to that class.
He is by the way, the one who got the whole Purpose Driven thing going at our church. (which didn't really take off as they expected) But I am still seeing the residue.

Posted by redkermit (Member # 4059) on :

A red flag went up when I read the first two sentences...

quote:
Rely on the strength and understanding that you possess. Each of us has more of it in us that we can imagine possible.

We are not to rely on our own strength and understanding.

Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

And I also wasn't comfortable with this statement:

quote:
Lord, help me recognize that my needs, feelings and my being are important just as they are in all others.

Philippians 2
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

So, this is the only contact I have with this person. She has my email address & I am on her distribution list for these "daily inspirations". Would you respond to this message today, or would you just ignore it?

Posted by cheech (Member # 4592) on :

At first (and I'm straining with this one) I thought maybe they could have been hinting about the holy spirit being inside and that is was the strength and understand they were speaking about. Just a thought. I don't particularly care for how it was put though.

The last part I agree should have been put differently as yahsway pointed out.

cheech

Posted by yahsway (Member # 3738) on :

Redkermit, if you feel led to respond, why not just respond with those scriptures you just posted. It is the word Of God. Just a suggestion. Be blessed.

Posted by TEXASGRANDMA (Member # 847) on :

redkermit

Advanced Member
Member # 4059

posted April 26, 2005 07:52 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A former co-worker of mine sends out these "daily inspirations". Do you see anything wrong with her most recent statement?

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rely on the strength and understanding that you possess. Each of us has more of it in us that we can imagine possible. Lord, through faith in You I can face any difficulty and conquer it....Be honest with yourself in every situation. Lord, help me recognize that my needs, feelings and my being are important just as they are in all others.

--------------------------------

I agree with yahsway, you might want to email her back. Kindly and gently tell her that when we rely on ourselves we could end up falling on our face. We need to lean on God and His Word daily to get us through. I do believe we need to take care of our needs, because if we become ill from lack of care we can't help others. But, we must be careful not to become selfish and self-centered.
betty

Posted by redkermit (Member # 4059) on :

Late in the afternoon yesterday, I responded with the following:

quote:
Hey ******,

After reading today's message, these two scriptures came to mind for me...

Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Philippians 2
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

I think it's important to be careful to not rely on ourselves too much, if at all. I trust the Holy Spirit to guide me in all things, because left to my own devices, I am sure to fail!

Anyway, God bless, and I hope things are going well for you.

Take care,
Matt

I think she may have removed me from her distribution list! I didn't receive today's inspiration.

Posted by redkermit (Member # 4059) on :

quote:
I think she may have removed me from her distribution list! I didn't receive today's inspiration.

OK, I have to take that back, it just came late today.

Posted by Caretaker (Member # 36) on :

God bless you Brother Matt for sowing precious seeds of truth.

Posted by helpforhomeschoolers (Member # 15) on :

This demostrates so clearly the double mindedness of what is being taught today as God's truth>

quote:
Rely on the strength and understanding that you possess.

God Says:
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

quote:
Each of us has more of it in us that we can imagine possible.

This is true, but contrary to popular belief it is not a good thing about man! We have to give up our strength and our understanding and Get Wisdom and with it HIS understanding.

It is in our weekness that we are made strong through Christ.

Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

quote:
Lord, through faith in You I can face any difficulty and conquer it...

.

We are not promised to conquer every difficulty; some difficulties we are given grace to endure. Through Faith in him, we can have peace, joy and power in the Holy Ghost in spite of every difficulty. That is called overcomming the world. We are not here to Conquer the world; the earth's is God's already, always has been always will be, he has allowed an enemy to occupy it with authority for a time, when that time comes God will destroy it and the one who occupies it, but we are not of this world, though we be in it.

quote:
Be honest with yourself in every situation.

Honesty with self is good if we can be honest enough with ourselves to tell ourselves that He is God and we are not and then to use our revelation to ourself to repent to him.

quote:
Lord, help me recognize that my needs, feelings and my being are important just as they are in all others.

Lord help me to forget about my self, help me to die and then to realize that dead men have no needs that are important and my feelings are faulty lies of the enmey. Take my life that Christ can live in me and that my life can be hid in him and He will then bless others through me.

Posted by cheech (Member # 4592) on :

Some very good points brought out here. This is exactly what we teach in the recovery program I help with...first thing...you are powerless...God is in control of our lives, not us. It's like I just told our group...if you were doing so well being in control then why are you in a recovery group!

We have to learn to rely on God and turn the steering wheel over to him!

cheech

Posted by BORN AGAIN (Member # 5) on :

quote:
Each of us has more of it in us than we can imagine possible.

For me, the word imagine is also a red flag:

Luke 1:51
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

Romans 1:21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

God bless, [Cross]

BORN AGAIN