Hello Friends, you know when we deal with challenging people, its easy to jump to conclusions about them based on their attitudes or behaviors. Have you ever stopped to think what made that person so disagreeable or foolish? When the Bible says God repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children , it is referring to generational cycles of sin. Only when someone in the family line makes a conscious choice to change will sinful and dysfunctional behavior stop being passed from parent to child for many generations. Its a wonderful thing to see this generational cycle of bondage be broken! This just confirms the principle of sowing and reaping. We pass down standards for conduct and character traits that weve received from our parents. If were unwilling to change our sinful habits and attitudes, they will very likely find their way into our childrens lives. What is true for sin is also true for wounding. When a child is emotionally wounded in the home, their behavior and character may be negatively affected. With this in mind, think about a difficult person that you know. What hurts do you think shaped their life? Have you taken the time to sit and hear their story? Or are you impatient, distant, and judgmental? Christ modeled for us a heart of compassion. Compassion originates from a willingness to empathize with those who have been wounded. This doesnt excuse someones sin, but it does help in opening our hearts toward the individual. When people know that you care, and you give them attention, patience, and time, you are Jesus with skin on. This is the first step towards healing - connecting from the heart. Before people will ever desire to change, they must know that you are FOR them. Connection is of the utmost importance. When I worked in the psychiatric hospital, I developed a little saying that I shared with the nursing staff that can be applicable to life - Connect, Correct, Redirect. Connect - let them know you care...no matter how long it takes. Correct - speak the truth in love...direct them to Gods word. Redirect - as humans, we often need to be reminded several times. We learn through repetition. When distracted, or when they get off track, gently guide them back (in love) to what Gods word says and do this within the context of a loving, supportive and caring relationship. Christ knew the importance of this principle. He loved people - but hated sin. He knew that before any transformation would happen, he had to connect. His actions proved the magnitude of his love. The next time a coworker rubs you the wrong way, a sibling gets on your nerves or your child irritates you - before you respond, ask the Lord to give you a heart of compassion and His supernatural patience. Ask Him to help give you discernment and wisdom in what Hed have you do next. Sometimes He desires for us to sit and be a sounding board, and sometimes He wants us to gently direct them back to Him. However in everything you do, let it be done in love. Blessings, Dr. Christy :)
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 03:48:46 +0000
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