C.S. LEWIS Excerpt from Mere Christianity-
'Consequently, though Christian charity sounds a very cold thing to people whose heads are full of sentimentality, and though it is quite distinct from affection, yet it leads to affection. The difference between a Christian and a worldly man is NOT that the worldly man has only affections or 'likings' and the Christian has only `charity'.
The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he 'likes' them: the Christian, trying to treat every one kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on -- including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning.'
Christian Love- TREATING EVERYONE KINDLY.
Luk 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Luk 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Luk 6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
Luk 6:30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
Luk 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Luk 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
Luk 6:33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
Luk 6:34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
Luk 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
We are not being told to love our friends.
We are not being told to love our family.
We are not being told to bless those who bless us.
We are not being told to do good to those who do good to us.
We are not being told to pray for those who are praying for us and treating us kindly.
We are not being told to give to those who are giving to us.
We are not being told to give to those who have lots.
We are not being told to love all those who love us.
We are not being told to only lend to those who can give back to us.
Why aren't we being told these things? Because a lot of them are what we call- 'a given'. It's rather easy to love friends and to love - loving family members. We have no trouble at all wanting to bless those who are good to us. And giving to those who give to us, that's easy, right? Love those who love us, easy!
We are being told that Christian love is far more than what people want to be love is.
LOVE your ENEMIES.
Do good to those who HATE you.
Bless those who CURSE you.
PRAY for those who are despitefully using you.
To those who hit one side of your face, OFFER the other side.
To those who steal from you, OFFER them more!
Give to EVERYONE that asks!
Do NOT ask for others to return your things.
Did you just read what I wrote?
Read it again, please.
Do we grow up learning to respond in this way to others?
Does our society endorse this sort of behavior?
Where have we learned to Hate those who Hate us?
To do bad things to those who hate us?
To curse those who curse us?
To despise those who are using us despitefully?
To hit back when we are hit?
To be angry at someone who steals from us and demand they give our things back?
To NOT give, but rather keep your own possessions- hoarding them, they are YOURS, you bought them or were given them?
To be mad at anyone who borrows your things and does not return them?
Where have we learned that all that is proper behavior?
Where have we learned that we are justified in responding this way?
FROM THE WORLD and the PRINCE of THIS WORLD.
Satan has taught mankind well to think of self first and foremost and the world has learned so well his awful lessons.
We love believing we are JUSTIFIED when we act against others badly. Our anger is justified, our hate is justified. We tell ourselves that we are only acting in a normal and acceptable manner, so it's fine to behave 'normally'. Only normally means SATAN'S NORMAL, not GOD'S!
'The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he 'likes' them: the Christian, trying to treat every one kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on -- including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning.'
C.S. LEWIS Excerpt from Mere Christianity
The CHRISTIAN tries to TREAT EVERYONE KINDLY.
EVERYONE meaning- EVERYONE, NO EXCEPTIONS!
We love our exceptions. We love to put a limit on our kindness. We do! When someone is evil to us, we love being able to tell ourselves it perfectly fine for us to return that same evil back a them- they started it! Be kind to someone who was nasty to us? NEVER! They really can't expect us to be kind to them when they are not kind to us, right?
CHRISTIAN LOVE- TREATS EVERYONE KINDLY- NO EXCEPTIONS!
NO EXCEPTIONS!
When you try to make exceptions for reasons that you can justify perfectly to the world and all who will listen, you have to realize that YOU CAN NEVER JUSTIFY THEM TO GOD! God tells us there are NO EXCEPTIONS to our treating EVERYONE KINDLY, NOT ONE!
Please LORD help us!
We've been conditioned by the world to behave as Satan would have us behave- telling us that is NORMAL behavior, acceptable behavior. YOUR TRUTH says otherwise! Please LORD bless us, TEACH us, work in us! Let YOUR LOVE be OUR LOVE! We would TREAT EVERYONE KINDLY, and it's only through YOUR GRACE and MERCY, YOUR POWER, YOUR AMAZING LOVE that this is at all possible!
Please LORD forgive us!
'Consequently, though Christian charity sounds a very cold thing to people whose heads are full of sentimentality, and though it is quite distinct from affection, yet it leads to affection. The difference between a Christian and a worldly man is NOT that the worldly man has only affections or 'likings' and the Christian has only `charity'.
The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he 'likes' them: the Christian, trying to treat every one kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on -- including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning.'
Christian Love- TREATING EVERYONE KINDLY.
Luk 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Luk 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Luk 6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
Luk 6:30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
Luk 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Luk 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
Luk 6:33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
Luk 6:34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
Luk 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
We are not being told to love our friends.
We are not being told to love our family.
We are not being told to bless those who bless us.
We are not being told to do good to those who do good to us.
We are not being told to pray for those who are praying for us and treating us kindly.
We are not being told to give to those who are giving to us.
We are not being told to give to those who have lots.
We are not being told to love all those who love us.
We are not being told to only lend to those who can give back to us.
Why aren't we being told these things? Because a lot of them are what we call- 'a given'. It's rather easy to love friends and to love - loving family members. We have no trouble at all wanting to bless those who are good to us. And giving to those who give to us, that's easy, right? Love those who love us, easy!
We are being told that Christian love is far more than what people want to be love is.
LOVE your ENEMIES.
Do good to those who HATE you.
Bless those who CURSE you.
PRAY for those who are despitefully using you.
To those who hit one side of your face, OFFER the other side.
To those who steal from you, OFFER them more!
Give to EVERYONE that asks!
Do NOT ask for others to return your things.
Did you just read what I wrote?
Read it again, please.
Do we grow up learning to respond in this way to others?
Does our society endorse this sort of behavior?
Where have we learned to Hate those who Hate us?
To do bad things to those who hate us?
To curse those who curse us?
To despise those who are using us despitefully?
To hit back when we are hit?
To be angry at someone who steals from us and demand they give our things back?
To NOT give, but rather keep your own possessions- hoarding them, they are YOURS, you bought them or were given them?
To be mad at anyone who borrows your things and does not return them?
Where have we learned that all that is proper behavior?
Where have we learned that we are justified in responding this way?
FROM THE WORLD and the PRINCE of THIS WORLD.
Satan has taught mankind well to think of self first and foremost and the world has learned so well his awful lessons.
We love believing we are JUSTIFIED when we act against others badly. Our anger is justified, our hate is justified. We tell ourselves that we are only acting in a normal and acceptable manner, so it's fine to behave 'normally'. Only normally means SATAN'S NORMAL, not GOD'S!
'The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he 'likes' them: the Christian, trying to treat every one kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on -- including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning.'
C.S. LEWIS Excerpt from Mere Christianity
The CHRISTIAN tries to TREAT EVERYONE KINDLY.
EVERYONE meaning- EVERYONE, NO EXCEPTIONS!
We love our exceptions. We love to put a limit on our kindness. We do! When someone is evil to us, we love being able to tell ourselves it perfectly fine for us to return that same evil back a them- they started it! Be kind to someone who was nasty to us? NEVER! They really can't expect us to be kind to them when they are not kind to us, right?
CHRISTIAN LOVE- TREATS EVERYONE KINDLY- NO EXCEPTIONS!
NO EXCEPTIONS!
When you try to make exceptions for reasons that you can justify perfectly to the world and all who will listen, you have to realize that YOU CAN NEVER JUSTIFY THEM TO GOD! God tells us there are NO EXCEPTIONS to our treating EVERYONE KINDLY, NOT ONE!
Please LORD help us!
We've been conditioned by the world to behave as Satan would have us behave- telling us that is NORMAL behavior, acceptable behavior. YOUR TRUTH says otherwise! Please LORD bless us, TEACH us, work in us! Let YOUR LOVE be OUR LOVE! We would TREAT EVERYONE KINDLY, and it's only through YOUR GRACE and MERCY, YOUR POWER, YOUR AMAZING LOVE that this is at all possible!
Please LORD forgive us!
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