Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Don't be like them!

Wisdom?  



Mom has given me a few one-liners of wisdom that have stuck with me & helped in many circumstances of life. Hope it will be helpful to you too :)

Some years ago while I was in bible school, I was sharing an apartment with a friend.  I wanted to show her my gratitude by words and my actions, always looking for the opportunity to help her in whatever she needed. 

This particular day, I was stuck at the mall and called my friend for a simple ride from the mall to our home.  Her behavior proved to be quite odd as she rudely rejected me for thinking I would ask such a thing of her.  Stunned by her attitude, I chose not to retaliate.

I eventually made it home and immediately called my Mom because I wanted to express my hurt from what seemed like harsh words spoken to the innocent (me!).  It was as though my mother did not even hear my complaint and said to me, "Don't YOU be like them."  Imagine! "Don't YOU be like them" is what I got.  She didn't try to make me feel better, but instead was telling me that I was going to have to choose the...well you know, the 'high road' (the hard road).  YES! The hard road, which is difficult but leads to LIFE.

Just recently, while reading a scrippy, I found the very words she spoke to me and did a little inside dance over it, knowing it to be true!

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.  Matt. 6:8 NIV

If He is telling us to not be like 'them', then 'who' is He telling us to be like?  Imitators of HIM!

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do.  Ephesians 5:1 NLT

For those who have decided to follow Jesus, we are to be imitators of Him and not those who choose to follow their own ways of decisions.  They only have the dim light of their nature to guide them.  It would be shameful for us to do as they do when we have a divine revelation for direction from above.

6 comments:

  1. This made me think of John 15:19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

    We are called to be different -we can't be like "them" we have to be like HIM.

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  2. Wow. Truth sets free. Objective instruction. I like it. Thanks for writing. I came to your site from your comment on Jeff Goins.

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  3. Nice to meet you Arlen. I will be checking out your site, just took a peek :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Sydney. All the best in your blogging pursuits!

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  4. The nut doesn't fall far from the tree. Made me smile.

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  5. I'm doing an inside dance too! Thank you for the reminder. Ahhh... God is so Awesome! He's our resting spot. "Come unto me all ye who labor and are weary. Take my yoke upon you. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

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