Job 13-17
Read these chapters with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post, or at www.bible.com. You can also read it with your Bible, if it's handy :)
You know what's really hard to grasp sometimes? Why people don't listen to you. It's hard to just get it embedded in your brain that sometimes, no matter how much you try and persuade something to someone, they just don't listen.
It's difficult.
In today's reading, Job was starting to get a little restless. Okay, so he's been really restless. Like, a lot. But that's not the point.
He had some friends come and try and help him through his tragedy, and to me... they seemed like they were doing a pretty good job, right? They were trying to get him to see that God loves him no matter what's happening, and that God will always forgive him... I kept thinking over and over that Job would finally just listen to what they were saying.
But he didn't. And it made me pretty angry. I've been where Job's friends are, that point where you almost get furious that they're not listening. The friends had an important message for Job! It's not like they were fighting, they were just trying to let him see the light.
That's what's so hard sometimes. The people that you're trying to persuade make it sound like you are heartless, and preaching to them for your own reasons.. when you're REALLY just trying to work things out.
Have you been there before?
This is the part where it gets hard to grasp, so stay with me here.
Sometimes, we focus so much on trying to be persuasive that we forget about the people we're trying to persuade. We can have the best argument planned, and have the best information to tell someone... but if we disregard what THEY'RE thinking, it's pointless.
Before you try and help someone with something serious, or try to persuade your belief to someone, make sure you see their side of the story. Pray about it. Pray for them, and that they'll be able to see what you're trying to say.
Believe it or not, this happens to other people, too. Like God, for instance. Maybe you already have faith in Jesus, or maybe you don't. But either way, God is trying to have a relationship with you. He's trying to put little "persuaders" around you to tell you about His love, and you have to be open to the people around you.
So the two things we can do today are:
1- Listen to the person you're trying to persuade, and
2- Listen to the persuader, too.
Email me at carlygaile@yahoo.com or comment below under the "anonymous" profile if you've got anything to say.
Peace out!
Read these chapters with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post, or at www.bible.com. You can also read it with your Bible, if it's handy :)
You know what's really hard to grasp sometimes? Why people don't listen to you. It's hard to just get it embedded in your brain that sometimes, no matter how much you try and persuade something to someone, they just don't listen.
It's difficult.
In today's reading, Job was starting to get a little restless. Okay, so he's been really restless. Like, a lot. But that's not the point.
He had some friends come and try and help him through his tragedy, and to me... they seemed like they were doing a pretty good job, right? They were trying to get him to see that God loves him no matter what's happening, and that God will always forgive him... I kept thinking over and over that Job would finally just listen to what they were saying.
But he didn't. And it made me pretty angry. I've been where Job's friends are, that point where you almost get furious that they're not listening. The friends had an important message for Job! It's not like they were fighting, they were just trying to let him see the light.
That's what's so hard sometimes. The people that you're trying to persuade make it sound like you are heartless, and preaching to them for your own reasons.. when you're REALLY just trying to work things out.
Have you been there before?
This is the part where it gets hard to grasp, so stay with me here.
Sometimes, we focus so much on trying to be persuasive that we forget about the people we're trying to persuade. We can have the best argument planned, and have the best information to tell someone... but if we disregard what THEY'RE thinking, it's pointless.
Before you try and help someone with something serious, or try to persuade your belief to someone, make sure you see their side of the story. Pray about it. Pray for them, and that they'll be able to see what you're trying to say.
Believe it or not, this happens to other people, too. Like God, for instance. Maybe you already have faith in Jesus, or maybe you don't. But either way, God is trying to have a relationship with you. He's trying to put little "persuaders" around you to tell you about His love, and you have to be open to the people around you.
So the two things we can do today are:
1- Listen to the person you're trying to persuade, and
2- Listen to the persuader, too.
Email me at carlygaile@yahoo.com or comment below under the "anonymous" profile if you've got anything to say.
Peace out!
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