Who needs to know? Who will this build up? Who might this hurt?
Those should be the questions I ask myself before I push the send, post or publish button for all to see.
Now there should be two feet in the photo but only one of us has a foot that can be shared publicly. That alone should be a reason to not publish this post but I have been sitting on this thought for two years and it keeps tugging at my heart.
Two years ago we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary at a lovely beach. I am so thankful for our marriage and our relationship that is grounded in Christ Jesus. Now I could share with the whole world what a great and awesome spouse I have and that would only be partly true. My spouse is great and awesome only for ME. God chose to put us together just like so many other blessed couples. But who needs to know? I think God is the only one that needs to know and we will personally tell HIM with thanksgiving and worship. Who will this build up? Well... If I focus on marriage and Jesus it might encourage someone but do I need to tell how awesome my spouse is to encourage someone? Probably not. Who will this hurt? Well...it might hurt a family member who is grieving the loss of his spouse, it might hurt a neighbor who is struggling with his wife having breast cancer, it might hurt those who are divorced and lonely. So...as I see it, my words may cause way more hurt than anything.
When going through difficult struggles in life the "wounded heart" is so vulnerable to more hurts. It opens me up to see how insensitive, prideful and selfish others
can be...but oh thank goodness, I don't stay there. God lets me see how
insensitive, prideful and selfish I am. Yes, God uses my struggles for me to look inside my own heart and see my selfishness and pride! I don't believe this would be
possible if I wasn't so aware of pain. Seeing my own ugliness makes me
realize how dependent I am on my savior, Jesus!
HE picks me up, washes me and tells me who I am in HIM!
We can bathe in our pride of self through joys or we can bath in pride of self through struggles. Struggles can consume us, as well as the joys, both interfering with our ability to be used by God for his purpose and glory. We can spend our whole day posting, publishing and sending our joys that do nothing for anyone or we can
spend our whole day drowning in our struggles and sadness in our
"woundedness" reading other peoples' joys, only hurting ourselves more, OR
we can find Jesus to be our PRIDE and JOY! Now HE is worth pushing the post, publish and send button for! Who needs to know? Everyone! Who will HE build up? Everyone! Who might HE hurt? No one!
1 Corinthians 1:31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD."
Galations 6:14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died.
Those should be the questions I ask myself before I push the send, post or publish button for all to see.
Now there should be two feet in the photo but only one of us has a foot that can be shared publicly. That alone should be a reason to not publish this post but I have been sitting on this thought for two years and it keeps tugging at my heart.
Two years ago we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary at a lovely beach. I am so thankful for our marriage and our relationship that is grounded in Christ Jesus. Now I could share with the whole world what a great and awesome spouse I have and that would only be partly true. My spouse is great and awesome only for ME. God chose to put us together just like so many other blessed couples. But who needs to know? I think God is the only one that needs to know and we will personally tell HIM with thanksgiving and worship. Who will this build up? Well... If I focus on marriage and Jesus it might encourage someone but do I need to tell how awesome my spouse is to encourage someone? Probably not. Who will this hurt? Well...it might hurt a family member who is grieving the loss of his spouse, it might hurt a neighbor who is struggling with his wife having breast cancer, it might hurt those who are divorced and lonely. So...as I see it, my words may cause way more hurt than anything.
When going through difficult struggles in life the "wounded heart" is so vulnerable to more hurts. It opens me up to see how insensitive, prideful and selfish others
can be...but oh thank goodness, I don't stay there. God lets me see how
insensitive, prideful and selfish I am. Yes, God uses my struggles for me to look inside my own heart and see my selfishness and pride! I don't believe this would be
possible if I wasn't so aware of pain. Seeing my own ugliness makes me
realize how dependent I am on my savior, Jesus!
HE picks me up, washes me and tells me who I am in HIM!
We can bathe in our pride of self through joys or we can bath in pride of self through struggles. Struggles can consume us, as well as the joys, both interfering with our ability to be used by God for his purpose and glory. We can spend our whole day posting, publishing and sending our joys that do nothing for anyone or we can
spend our whole day drowning in our struggles and sadness in our
"woundedness" reading other peoples' joys, only hurting ourselves more, OR
we can find Jesus to be our PRIDE and JOY! Now HE is worth pushing the post, publish and send button for! Who needs to know? Everyone! Who will HE build up? Everyone! Who might HE hurt? No one!
Galations 6:14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died.
~ 2RJL
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