It is important to "observe and not absorb" as one counselor put it, the rantings and irrational responses of heathens. They are growing worse in their nasty comments and responses to simple and even unimportant matters, as though intimidation will force us to become like them. Their personal validation takes priority over everything, they cannot love those they cannot control.
The reason so many people use mocking and intimidation more than reasonable and rational conversation, is because they are dedicated to forcing others to think and act like they do. Those who operate in this vain cannot survive without validation from others, they are predisposed to crowd following because they cannot endure being different from the existing norm.
It is notable that the news media skews their information to include insults to make others feel silly about believing certain things. They operate the same way a malignant narcissist operates, using mocking, insults and demeaning with anyone who does not obey their particular agenda.
For instance, I watched a secular news show in which the commentator said, "unlike irrational people, I think", implying that if someone didn't agree with that commentator, they were assigned the title of "irrational." When we hear language like this we are watching the tactic of a manipulator.
This is a hot topic these days because many people are beginning to see these things, why? The tactics of the narcissist used to be much more covert because it was not socially acceptable. Fewer people were mean compared to now, at least in our country. However we are now living in times when it has become more acceptable to be selfish, even taught in school by psychologists to think of ourselves first.
The self esteem teaching has brought about a crisis of intolerant and mean spirited rudeness greater than we saw in the past.
God told us in 2 Timothy 3 that this would be the case, our job as believers is to learn how to live around it without it soaking into our souls. Our mandate from God is to keep ourselves from becoming like those who act in these ungodly and mean spirited ways through prayer and knowing His Word intimately. So intimately that our first thoughts go to Scripture when faced with anything.
James 1:27 "27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
The drama and foolishness of the world can distract us from doing the things God told us to do as well as possibly discouraging us from His ways.
We have a sewer in our neighborhood, it is there, has to be maintained but we do not walk in it.
I have stories that demonstrate the principle of Holy Spirit influence without words or actions, well. We used to work the fairs selling our ice cream when we were in that business. When I was behind the counter many scantily clad women would come to the booth to buy.
I never reacted to their clothing because I was used to it, in the world that's just the way it is. On more than one occasion a young woman in immodest clothing would stand before me deciding her choices of ice cream.
I was my normal jovial happy self, greeting with "Hi, how are you, what can I get for you?" The women would begin to pull at their sweater to cover up as though embarrassed. I never addressed their clothing or had any look but smiles.
That seemed odd to me until I realized they were probably sensing the Holy Spirit in me. I was dressed modestly but so were lots of other people at the fairs, I deduced that it was the Holy Spirit because they didn't cover when it was someone else who was modestly dressed.
I have also experienced someone telling me I was judgmental when I had said nothing at all. LOL, that's a little weird. That too was another clue that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, even when we say or do nothing at all.
For many years I could not understand why relatives acted uncomfortable around me, they seemed stand offish as though something was wrong, but I had said or done nothing, except to be friendly.
This is why I am convinced the "just be friendly to win people to the Lord" is not rational. No matter how friendly we are, the Holy Spirit in us is going to make them irritated and uncomfortable when they are in rebellion.
Have you ever gone to a gathering and felt as though most people there were avoiding you, but you had said or done nothing yet, just by walking in the room there seemed like a coldness, an aloofness that could not be explained?
Welcome to the Pacific Northwest, there is a demonic oppression here that makes many people fear the presence of the Holy Spirit. Narcissism is rampant here, if you act differently from others you are perceived as a threat. Not everyone is this way, but it is becoming more common than I have ever seen it.
Never fear dear brothers and sisters, we are in the best place when we are walking with Christ. We can pray for those who are intimidated by Him. They are in the saddest place anyone can be, that is left to their own devices to muddle through life without joy, only able to obtain some happiness when they are getting what they want. The happiness leaves them as soon as they have to encounter something they don't like, and the joy is never present.
The devil hates joyful and contented people, he works to destroy that, but he cannot so he engages others to do it for him against the born again believer.
It is best to stay close to Christ in us, then, although we love people we do not NEED them to be joyful, He, Christ is our joy always and no matter who else loves or likes us we are contented in Him.
Philippians 4:10-12 "10 Now I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances. 12 I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need."
Narcissists are embarrassed by kindness and love, that's why they despise those who demonstrate it in very real ways.
It is easy to see where this mentality of hatred and contempt comes from, the devil.
Love is of God and the devil hates God, he is the opposite of everything God would want on purpose. Those who love Christ have a far different form of love than the world has.
Those in the world love those who offer them something they want while discarding them when we do not bow to their every whim. However, the Love of God is demonstrated in Christians by their love for God first and then others.
The love for others is not based on feelings but rather it is based on enhancing the character qualities of those we love, warnings, sharing truth and encouragement to keep on seeking God.
The world says, "seek self for everything", Christians say, "seek God for everything in us."
The devil is busy working to convince hearts, influencing them to hate others while God influences believers to love others, deeply and consistently.
1 John 4:20
"20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen."
1 John 3:14
"14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death."
Romans 12:10
"10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; [a]give preference to one another in honor;"
Ephesians 4:2
"2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,"
1 John 3:14-19
"14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
John 8:44
"44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
The devil will always lie and he will always do the speak the opposite of what God speaks. By opposite I mean, he often uses a little bit of truth to deceive but when it is mixed with his lies, it becomes all lies.
