I am going through a spiritual conflict right now. One of my greatest desires in life is to be Christ-like whenever I can. This in principle, means putting others first... sacrificing & giving... and above all, loving with your entire existence.
Normally, I am very good at this. I will bend over backwards at any given time to help strangers and friends alike. But sometimes by doing that, it has been at my expense. The times I have extended my friendship over and over to women who were quick to judge or would not reciprocate my open heart. The times I have given gifts to brighten someones day, even though it means I can't afford to get that massage I have always wanted but never spoiled myself with. The times I have used every hour of vacation time, and every dollar of credit limit to visit my family, who has only been able to come to Oregon once since I have lived here.
So where do you draw the line? What should you do when supporting someone else might not be the healthiest thing for you? In the words of Joyce Meyer, "Loving others does not come easily or without personal sacrifice. Each time we choose to love someone, it will cost us something - time, money, or effort. That's why we are told to count the cost before we make the commitment." How true this is! Maybe I don't evaluate the cost before committing. Or maybe, I evaluate the cost, and it still seems a low price to pay for someone elses well-being. More often than not, I am willing to sacrifice all that I have. But there are times when I just dont know that I have anything left to sacrifice... no time, money or effort left to pay the "cost" of my commitment.
Is it selfish to choose your own needs over the needs of someone else? Yes - I believe it is. But can you be selfish and still Christ-like? I haven't figured that one out yet...
Universal Year 11
6 years ago
1 comments:
Hmmm...I hear what you're saying...This is a tricky one, indeed! I have struggled with this one myself at times, still do. But to me, it shows your heart that you are even in confict about this. Yo definitely want to do the Christ-like thing, and I think God will honor you for that and continue to show you through each circumstance what you are seeking. It does sound like you have been burned giving of yourself. I can relate with that, too. It can leave us with a bad taste in our mouth, for sure! I can see why you're searching...there have been times in my life where, like this subject, I just couldn't figure it out-maybe something that seemed so patheticly simple to someone else. I understand this! I know God will be faithful to keep helping you with this. Thoe only thing I know is that boundaries are important - there are some in our lives we must exercise those with-those that seem to disrespect us over and over again (I'm sure you know the type!. So, for those, I think it's OK to step back from - at least until you feel led to start back up again...
sorry so long-winded!!!
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