Grace

By lastresort · Feb 12, 2016 · ·
  1. I just realise what a beautiful name Grace is. If I had a daughter, I'd like to call her Grace.
    Grace may well be the most important word in the English language. It is certainly the most under-rated. Apparently you need to be humble to receive it though. If low self-esteem equalled humility, I'd be OK. But I'm not. Low self-esteem, big ego, intellectual snob (only towards people who haven't been to Uni), aversion to several personality types, sense of entitlement too which is disappointing.
    Humility is harder than you think. I'm trying my hardest right now to be humble. C'mon write something humble for God's sake! ..........
    I really admire people who remain true to themselves but are not worldly successes. Who don't get distracted by what others think of them. The unsung hero is full of grace.

Comments

  1. lastresort
    There must be some people sick of reading my blogs. Just the act of blogging is a seriously unhumble pursuit.
  2. obi-sem kenobi
    "Thank you", the old man said. He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of true pride.
    ~The Old Man and the Sea, Hemmingway
      lastresort likes this.
  3. lastresort
    nice quote obi!
  4. lastresort
    and you know what? I didn't even think of the obvious, amazing grace! the hymn I mean.
  5. obi-sem kenobi
    It's a nice book :) And Amazing Grace is an amazing song. Being truly humble is not easy because it requires obedience and casting off that human pride that is really just being self-centered. If we are grateful for everything God has given us and love one another as brothers (mind you, we do not always have to like our brother, as long as we love him), then we can truly attain humility.
    Ok, end of sermon. Sorry about that, I get carried away a bit sometimes.
  6. lastresort
    thanks obi
    can you clarify the difference between loving and liking one's brother?
  7. lastresort
    and don't worry about preaching with me, I tend to do it too.:)
  8. obi-sem kenobi
    Well, if I just apply it to myself, I don't always like myself. I can be a real ass. But I never really stop loving myself, not so much because I am a nice guy, but because I am.. well.. me. I think that's the way God wants us to love our brothers. Not so much because they are nice people that you always have to get along with, but because God loves them as much as He loves you. I don't believe love to be a warm fuzzy feeling. I think it's a choice. The difference between the first weeks of dating and being married for a decade. The first is an emotion. A very nice and useful emotion, but nothing more. The second is love. God tells us to love everyone. You cannot feel butterflies on command, that's the whole point. But you can choose to care about someone's wellbeing, physically, but also spiritually even when you think that person is an ass. After all, I'm an ass too. So you pray for them to become less of an ass the same way you pray for yourself. Because you should love them the same way.
    That's the way I see it anyway. :)
  9. lastresort
    So "love" is tolerance and acceptance. Caring for their well-being, wishing them well. Goodwill instead of hate.
  10. obi-sem kenobi
    Yes. I think. Though I think tolerance is a dangerous word in this context. If I do something wrong, I don't want my wife to tolerate it, I want her to tell me I do something wrong. Really caring about someone sometimes means you have to confront them with their actions. God loves all people, but he whipped away at the people who turned the temple square into a market place.
    I don't mean to say that if you try to love everyone you should whip everyone who does something you don't like, but if they are in my charge or confidence, or I am in theirs, I should care if they do something wrong. I want them to become good people, just like I want to be a good person.
    I understand that this is where it gets tricky, especially when for example Jehova's witnesses come knocking at your door, but I understand why they do it. If I believed what they believe, I would do the same. When done for the right reasons (not 'because we have to' but 'because if there is even the slightest chance they won't go to Hell because of this I have to take it'), that is what I believe to be love.
    Does that still make sense?
  11. lastresort
    oh yes that makes perfect sense. Confronting people calmly with respect is something I have never fully mastered. it is very tempting to dump our annoyance or anger. this is when we need "grace".
  12. obi-sem kenobi
    Good talk Frank, thanks for that :)
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