Thankful
Leviticus chapter 19 verses 33 and 34.
"Do not take advantage of foreigners in your land; do not wrong them. They must be treated like any other citizen; love them as yourself, for remember that you too were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Jehovah your God."
It's not bad wanting time away from others. Some people like to live away from others because they feel that it brings them more peace. I'm not talking about total isolation, but your home, which is your place to get away from your daily job. It can also be your place of refuge, somewhere to hide when others are seeking after you. We work hard to make our home into our little piece of enjoyment, where we can push the boundaries without bothering others too much.
That is not to say that others may have suggestions or comments about the way you live. That is not to say that if the way we are living is annoying to others that we will not be approached and asked to do something that is more respectable and considerate of those around.
Isolating oneself away from social interaction is not healthy. It can make your thoughts wander as you wonder what the intentions of those who are trying to break into your peace, really are. Even in a community filled with people we take precautions to protect our homes from others. After-all, it is our place to go to unwind, where we can find a little peace and quiet.
Now all of that is fine and dandy until a family is involved. Are we ever alone? You fall in love, you like the idea of someone else being there and the next thing you know there are little feet running around needing your care, guidance and protection. So much for peace and quiet. Was that God's plan? Someone made it possible for women to bear children. Someone gave us the draw to seek, explore and be responsible for the actions we took.
The bible talks of Adam and Eve. It talks about the consequences of following our own direction. You can't get away from your thoughts and you can't get away from owing up to the circumstances that are your life. That is God's plan. Doing things as we think they should be done cause us to fail and then deal with our own emotions and others who have been affected by our actions. We cannot hide away forever.
An income is necessary in order to survive. So interaction with others is necessary. Like it or not we all have our own stand-out abilities that will help each other grow and survive. And we quickly learn that our thoughts to follow an idea have been tried before and someone else has perfected it. All we do is learn the right steps to take and then put our own touch to making them work for us.
The better we are at something, the more we are wanted by others. That is not a bad thing, as long as you are someone who sees the benefit of doing something for others as good and helpful. Everyone has an opinion, but you are good at what you do, so do not let someone's critical, judgemental words take you away from something you have found a path with. Grow with their comments, have an open ear to listen to what they are saying. It may not be easy to hold back your tongue from saying something it shouldn't, but with training, God's training, you can learn to be humble, and use love to guide your thoughts.
What the heck does that mean? Use love and compassion? It all comes down to your peace and wanting to fit in. Ecclesiastes chapter 4 talks about two accomplishing more than one. It talks about someone being there with you when you fall. It talks about cold nights and the warmth of two verses one under the blankets. It talks about how vulnerable one person is to attacks and how two stand together, it even says that three are better than two. "A triple braided cord is not easily broken."
Being hurt by others can lead to seeking refuge. Alcohol, drugs and the want to hide away can become consuming. We live in a world where we cannot escape the need for each other. God knows that and is there when we see for ourselves that the path we walk is not as straight and enjoyable as we were led to believe.
I like Colossians chapter 1. It talks about Christ as being the exact likeness of the unseen God. It says, "He existed before God made anything at all, and, in fact, Christ Himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can't; the Spirit world with it's kings and kingdoms; it's rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for His own use and glory.
It continues saying, "He is the head of the body made up of His people---that is, His church---which He began; and He is the Leader of all of those who rise from the dead, so that He is first in everything; for God wanted all of Himself to be in His Son. It was through what His Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to Him---all things in heaven and earth---for Christs death on the cross has made peace with God for all by His blood.
"This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were His enemies and hated Him and were separated from Him by your own evil thoughts and actions, yet now He has brought you back as His friends. He has done this through the death on the cross of His own human body, and now as a result Christ has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing there before Him with nothing left against you---nothing left that He could even chide you for; the only condition is that you fully believe the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting Him to save you. This is the wonderful news that came to each of you and is now spreading all over the world."
So there is a choice to be made. Have life on your own and live it as you see fit, dealing with your thoughts and restless nights. You can try to make others see things your way, you can try to get along with others, but your want to live the way you think is right, will bump heads with others causing grief and unsettled conversations. Many people do live like this and they seem to get over the bumps and bruises moving ahead hoping for a smooth road, where they are content and at peace.
Psalms chapter 4 verses 7 and 8 say, "Yes, the gladness You have given me is far greater than their joys at harvest time as they gaze at their bountiful crops. I will lie down in peace and sleep, for though I am alone, O Lord, You will keep me safe."
I lived on my own for much of my life. I did interact with people outside of my own home, but in my home I felt restless with others around. I wanted people around but when I invited them back, they were only there to drink and be merry, not caring for my stuff. I even became paranoid that they were thieves, trying to rob me of something. I felt so much better when they left, but once again I was alone.
I had to learn to trust. That meant letting my guard down. Maybe God could help. After-all, He is unseen, so what could it hurt to spill out all my misgivings into the air, maybe He is listening. And He was. God's love through Jesus changed my life.
In Luke chapter 18 we read about the blind beggar who wanted to see. The crowds told him to be quiet, but he shouted louder, "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!"
God did not have to respond to my cries, but He did. I never thought that He was real, but He is and oh how thankful I am that He is. Jesus asked the blind man, "What do you want? He replied, "I want to see!"
My simple prayer led me to trust and love. A joy that is with me forever.
In Psalms chapter 3 we find King David tormented by his thoughts. He trusts in God and says that He is his only hope. Only He can lift his head from the shame he feels. Verse 4 says, "I cried out to the Lord, and He heard me from His Temple, then I lay down and slept in peace and woke up safely, for the Lord was watching over me."
What does stuff matter? What does social status matter? What matters is that you have found peace in God who never falters or leaves you. You can hold your head high, you can fit in and get along with others, for you believe in Jesus Christ and know that no matter where you are or what you are involved in, He is with you.
That is a fact that cannot be changed. He is unseen but He is mighty and has brought amazing peace to your life. John 3 verses 16 and 17 say it best, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. God did not send Christ into the world to condemn it but rather to save it."
Thank You Father for Jesus. Thank You for my reason to be thankful. You broke the stubborn, lonely heart and gave it the warm love it needed. 😊
Romans chapter 8 verses 3 and 4.
"We are not saved from sin's grasp by knowing the commandments of God, because we can't and do not keep them, but God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent His own Son in a human body like ours---except that ours are sinful---and destroyed sin's control over us by giving Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. So now we can obey God's laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the evil nature within us."
Ephesians chapter 2 verses 11-13.
Never forget that once you were heathen, and that you were called godless and unclean. Remember that in those days you were living utterly apart from Christ; you were enemies of God's children and He had promised you no help. You were lost, without God, without hope. But now you belong to Christ Jesus, and though you once were far away from God, now you have been brought very near to Him because of what Jesus Christ has done for you with His blood.
Verses 19-22.
Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God's very own family, citizens of God's country, and you belong in God's household with every other Christian. What a foundation you stand on now: the apostles and the prophets; and the cornerstone of the building is Jesus Christ Himself! We who believe are carefully joined together with Christ as parts of a beautiful, constantly growing temple for God. And you also are joined with Him and with each other by the Spirit, and are part of this dwelling place of God.
Hebrews chapter 13 verses 1 and 2.
Continue to love each other with true brotherly love. Do not forget to be kind to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
1 Peter chapter 5 verses 6-11.
If you humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in His good time He will lift you up. Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you. Be careful---watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart. Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord; and remember that other Christians all around the world are going through these suffering too. After you have suffered a little while, our God, who is full of kindness through Christ, will give you His eternal glory. He will personally come and pick you up and set you firmly in place and make you stronger than ever. To Him be all power over all things, forever and ever.
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