"11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person."
Many people think if someone is not doing the "big" sins of adultery or drunkenness they are not sinning. What we often forget is that a sinful attitude without all these blatant actions is just as sinful.
Treating people disrespectfully because they disagree or won't follow what the narcissist wants is as sinful as all those other sins. A controller is self-focused and greedy for attention and superiority. They judge and become angry rashly based on their own desires rather than truth, these people are acting just as sinful as the ones who commit adultery or steal from their neighbors.
Attitudes can be more damaging even than blatant outward acts of sin. Jealousy all by itself is a sin against God and against the people we are envious of as well as a form of murder and hatred.
Envy is hatred and that hatred is murder. Boasting is a form of abuse that creates envy and jealousy in others.
1 John 3:15 "
"Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
We have known many people who do not commit the big blatant sins openly but hold in their hearts envy, strife, rudeness, and disrespect. Equally abhorrent is the sin of gossiping about people when we have not seen what we hear against them, but take the word and opinion of others to evaluate and judge someone else while passing it on to others.
Many relationships have been ruined by envious jealous people who are full of their own pride.
Envy is wanting what others have and jealousy is feeling threatened by what others have. Our culture tends to make these two traits synonymous but they are different in their function.
With envy, someone might want to try to acquire what someone else has to feel equal to them.
With jealousy comes the desire to ruin what someone else has because we cannot have it.
When we see these covert attitudes that can easily be denied by those who wish to hide them, we know it will be impossible to have a quality relationship with them until they confess to be cleansed of them.
All of us over the years have experienced a twinge of envy or jealousy but if we are born-again we quickly dismiss it and pray to avoid anything that would harm another human being.
Disrespect and lack of love is at the root of all of these devilish traits. Satan was envious of God wanting what He had and because of this, he became jealous to destroy God entirely.
Once someone repents from their envy and jealousy the peace of God rolls over them like a cleansing wind. What a wonderful feeling it is to enjoy the blessings of others without any desire to have it or harm them. It becomes a delight to engage in their joy with them.
As my husband has said many times; "Grief shared is half a grief and a joy shared is twice the joy."
When we indulge in the happiness of others or the pain of others we share their life and give them the gift of companionship as believers are meant to do with one another.
Romans 12:15
"15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."
What a blessed life we live when we give to others what we would like to see them give to us.
Matthew 7:12
The Golden Rule
12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Hallelujah!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment