Thursday, July 02, 2009

letting go

To help others at times, we simply need to let them go in the seeming, or obvious folly of their own way. For me this is hard, especially at first. But when one sees they are intractable, it is actually to their benefit if we let go, in love, and let them experience something of the consequences of their behavior, while we pray.

Sometimes when witnessing another's folly, whether they are simply a person we have close contact with for whatever reason, or if they're a close relative, we are drawn in ourselves to have attitudes toward them which are not Christ-like. I'm thinking of anger, contempt, frustration, attitudes which easily amount to descending to their level. Letting go can then be for our benefit, as well as theirs. We need time to pray for them especially, and seek to be present for them in a way that can be helpful and truly for their good. Love is not to be mushy, because true love wants God's best for the other.

What would you like to share on this?
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2 comments:

Maalie said...

This is a post can relate to Ted. But I'm afraid I often wonder of what practical use can be simply praying for someone? If indeed God exists, he appears to cast his favours randomly between those of different faiths, and indeed those of no faith.

What interest me about Christian prayer is that if a desired outcome results it is: "Hallelujah! God has answered my prayer!". But if an unfavourable outcome results, the explanation is "Well, God has a different plan".

If "prayer" is a euphemism for private reflection and contemplation, I can understand that. But to pray to "someone" for "something" seems to me to be as futile as doing a rain dance during a drought.

Myself, rather than "pray" for someone, I would prefer to think of some practical way of letting them know I am encouraging them. I have never felt the need to bring God into the equation.

3:21 AM, July 03, 2009
Ted M. Gossard said...

Maalie,
Thanks.

Yes, Jesus said that God causes the sun to shine and rain to fall on everyone.

I have often thought that we Christians do think we know what God is doing when we don't. Like Job's friends.

But true prayer according to Scripture has to be prayed with the pray-er always being willing to put feet and hands to what they're praying about.

Isaiah 58 gets at this. I quote from it:

"For day after day
they seek me out;
they seem eager
to know my ways,
as if they were a nation
that does what is right
and has not forsaken
the commands of its God.
They ask me
for just decisions
and seem eager
for God to come near them.

'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting,
you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.

Your fasting ends
in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other
with wicked fists.
You cannot fast
as you do today
and expect your voice
to be heard on high.

Is this the kind of fast
I have chosen,
only a day for people
to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing
one's head like a reed
and for lying
in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable
to the LORD?

"Is not this
the kind of fasting
I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food
with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked,
to clothe them,
and not to turn away
from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light
will break forth
like the dawn,
and your healing
will quickly appear;
then your righteousness
will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD
will be your rear guard.

Then you will call,
and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help,
and he will say: Here am I."

11:26 AM, July 03, 2009

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