Hey!
So... it's been a heck of awhile. And a lot has changed in that while, one thing that hasn't? My God.
Since moving to another city to study there have been a lot of uncertainties, however God's really used this time to develop my trust in Him, He's been there all the way through - which is one of the many lessons I'm learning with Him at the minute, when it says 'He will never leave you nor forsake you' (Deuteronomy 31:6) He actually means it, and it is amazing.
However, one of the lessons I'm learning most about at the minute is something about myself I didn't even realise. Since moving, a couple of friends pointed out to me, how often I say sorry. It seems really trivial and insignificant, (and slightly annoying for others!) but God's really been teaching me about things related to this.
I didn't even realise this about myself, but it was so true! I would say sorry for the silliest things, (and then when told I needn't be sorry, I'd usually apologise again!)
God told me that it was a habit I had gotten into through... yes, the 'p' words... 'people pleasing.' However one thing that I realised, was that the more I said sorry unnecessarily, the less value I felt it would have when I really meant it, when it really was necessary.
For example, in apologising for jumbling up words or not completely understanding something, showed me how I was actually apologising for thinking differently. This struck me as absurd, apologising for the way you were created doesn't seem to quite fit?
Now, by no means am I saying that it is never necessary to apologise. Or that we should all just liberally say and act as we feel and not care for others feelings. Of course not. We always need to care and love for one another, the Bible clearly tells us to do this.
However, there definitely comes a point where you can apologise too much, for things that really don't need an apology.God created us all to think and act differently, that's why we are unique and why Psalm 139 speaks to our spirits.
He made us all different so we can learn from one another, and that comes in all forms of: loving, rebuking, agreeing, disagreeing, conversing and so on. To live in a community and to live as a family means when those times of hurt or wrongdoing do come up, we apologise heartily and forgive.
But in the meantime, if you're learning about this (as I still am!) don't apologise for who you are, what you believe in, what you stand for, things you have no control over. Express your love for your God to those around you, and if people misunderstand or misinterpret you, as long as you are right with your God in your heart, and you have apologised for what is necessary, don't apologise yourself away. Give Jesus away.
"To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless."
G. K. Chesterton
C.
So... it's been a heck of awhile. And a lot has changed in that while, one thing that hasn't? My God.
Since moving to another city to study there have been a lot of uncertainties, however God's really used this time to develop my trust in Him, He's been there all the way through - which is one of the many lessons I'm learning with Him at the minute, when it says 'He will never leave you nor forsake you' (Deuteronomy 31:6) He actually means it, and it is amazing.
However, one of the lessons I'm learning most about at the minute is something about myself I didn't even realise. Since moving, a couple of friends pointed out to me, how often I say sorry. It seems really trivial and insignificant, (and slightly annoying for others!) but God's really been teaching me about things related to this.
I didn't even realise this about myself, but it was so true! I would say sorry for the silliest things, (and then when told I needn't be sorry, I'd usually apologise again!)
God told me that it was a habit I had gotten into through... yes, the 'p' words... 'people pleasing.' However one thing that I realised, was that the more I said sorry unnecessarily, the less value I felt it would have when I really meant it, when it really was necessary.
For example, in apologising for jumbling up words or not completely understanding something, showed me how I was actually apologising for thinking differently. This struck me as absurd, apologising for the way you were created doesn't seem to quite fit?
Now, by no means am I saying that it is never necessary to apologise. Or that we should all just liberally say and act as we feel and not care for others feelings. Of course not. We always need to care and love for one another, the Bible clearly tells us to do this.
However, there definitely comes a point where you can apologise too much, for things that really don't need an apology.God created us all to think and act differently, that's why we are unique and why Psalm 139 speaks to our spirits.
He made us all different so we can learn from one another, and that comes in all forms of: loving, rebuking, agreeing, disagreeing, conversing and so on. To live in a community and to live as a family means when those times of hurt or wrongdoing do come up, we apologise heartily and forgive.
But in the meantime, if you're learning about this (as I still am!) don't apologise for who you are, what you believe in, what you stand for, things you have no control over. Express your love for your God to those around you, and if people misunderstand or misinterpret you, as long as you are right with your God in your heart, and you have apologised for what is necessary, don't apologise yourself away. Give Jesus away.
"To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless."
G. K. Chesterton
C.
