Thoughts on Fenelon, "Let God", To A Friend Living with Difficult People
According to Fenelon, I need to regularly corral my mind, know that other’s have weaknesses, pray and surrender my addiction to having my way. I need to commit to stopping my self-righteous thoughts that rise out of selfish and harsh demands to get what I want. If I stop listening to myself and to other’s gossip I will be much happier and have far less conflicts.
Why do I complain about others sometimes in my heart? It is sin and makes my life difficult. Some of my poor behaviors are the result of listening to my self talk about how someone treats me unfairly.
What I need to do is let go of all of this and stop complaining. The truth is that God has dealt bountifully with me. My poor behavior at times is a result of self-righteous thoughts and seeking after comfort in my own life. I want everyone to accommodate me.
What needs to happen is I need to bear my cross silently every day and choose obedience. As Fenelon notes, I need to die to self and throw myself on the mercy of God. Too often I am looking at friendships and work relationships as what they can do for me. I look at them with how they make me look and feel.
The truth is that I am seeing the world through the eyes of self. How I look and feel has nothing to do with God’s purposes. I need to receive the opportunities God gives me with gratitude and look at how I can make a difference in other’s lives.
Rather than focusing on myself and what I am getting out of a relationship or how people are treating me, I need to notice how I can make a difference. When I allow people and my circumstances to be what they will, trusting God with them, I am free to meet other’s needs and clearly see God’s will for the situation.
I need to look to partner with God on His will, having a great deal of joy about the opportunity to serve Him. Too often I am looking to make myself comfortable. I am looking at a situation for what is in it for me rather than looking at a situation based upon what I can give to others.
When I am in a meeting or at some community event, rather than being concerned if I am accepted by others, I need to concern myself with how others feel and if they are being included.
"He gave all He had to give, so that we could truly live. So lets give all that we have to Him, so that we can be completely free."
Lord, I long to give you all in every area of my life. Thank you for the gift you gave me over the past few weeks of having a biopsy. Please help me to live as though I am here only to contribute to other’s lives and make a difference for them. Help me to die to so much self concern about how others treat me. When I get to the end of my life, it will make no difference how others treated me. What will count is how I treated others.
Why do I complain about others sometimes in my heart? It is sin and makes my life difficult. Some of my poor behaviors are the result of listening to my self talk about how someone treats me unfairly.
What I need to do is let go of all of this and stop complaining. The truth is that God has dealt bountifully with me. My poor behavior at times is a result of self-righteous thoughts and seeking after comfort in my own life. I want everyone to accommodate me.
What needs to happen is I need to bear my cross silently every day and choose obedience. As Fenelon notes, I need to die to self and throw myself on the mercy of God. Too often I am looking at friendships and work relationships as what they can do for me. I look at them with how they make me look and feel.
The truth is that I am seeing the world through the eyes of self. How I look and feel has nothing to do with God’s purposes. I need to receive the opportunities God gives me with gratitude and look at how I can make a difference in other’s lives.
Rather than focusing on myself and what I am getting out of a relationship or how people are treating me, I need to notice how I can make a difference. When I allow people and my circumstances to be what they will, trusting God with them, I am free to meet other’s needs and clearly see God’s will for the situation.
I need to look to partner with God on His will, having a great deal of joy about the opportunity to serve Him. Too often I am looking to make myself comfortable. I am looking at a situation for what is in it for me rather than looking at a situation based upon what I can give to others.
When I am in a meeting or at some community event, rather than being concerned if I am accepted by others, I need to concern myself with how others feel and if they are being included.
"He gave all He had to give, so that we could truly live. So lets give all that we have to Him, so that we can be completely free."
Lord, I long to give you all in every area of my life. Thank you for the gift you gave me over the past few weeks of having a biopsy. Please help me to live as though I am here only to contribute to other’s lives and make a difference for them. Help me to die to so much self concern about how others treat me. When I get to the end of my life, it will make no difference how others treated me. What will count is how I treated others.
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