By Thy Words

[Sudsy]

I believe God is the Great Physician. There isn't a wound He cannot heal. None of us are scarred for life. But like any hurts we must be willing to let go and part of letting go is to leave the past with God and seek His guidance and power in moving forward.

Don't know if this will help others like it helps me but a book (free download on the Internet) I read and re-read a few years back called 'The Bait of Satan' (living free from the deadly trap of offense) may be an answer. This book can reveal through the Holy Spirit where we may be harboring bitterness, painful memories, and resentment instead of releasing them to the Lord. 

'If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.' John 8:36

I don’t know if this comment was made with my post in mind, but if it was: please don’t mistake being able to discuss an issue that has caused hurts to be the same as bitterness and resentment.

No, it wasn't with your post in mind. A couple thoughts on hurts - YMMV

For some folks it may help to share their past hurts whereas for others it may give them support to feel justified in hanging unto their past hurts. I think true forgiveness of those who have hurt us in some way is if these hurts can be discussed without any sense of bitterness and resentment toward them. For some, by the grace of God, they are not going to allow Satan to rob them of their current peace and joy and way of life as they chose not to look back on those hurts because these folks have been forgiven. I chose the latter and find God's grace is sufficient for this to be a reality.

Does satan tempt me to look back ? For sure, he doesn't give up easily. And that is why walking according to the Spirit and not the ego/flesh is so important. Jesus offers us life that is abundant that our joy may be full. Do I want this life by God renewing my mind and how I view past hurts or do I want to hold on to them and live miserably ? It's my choice and God is there to do His part in transforming my mind. Forgiving others is very key.

[TruthSeeker]

Perhaps David, the Psalmist, was the type of individual who needed to process through writing. The Psalms contain many laments and references to oppressors.

[Grace]

Perhaps David, the Psalmist, was the type of individual who needed to process through writing. The Psalms contain many laments and references to oppressors.

That is true. But David's worst oppressor was Saul and when David had the opportunity to kill Saul, he refrained, because at one point Saul was anointed by God. David left his oppressor in the hands of God.

In reading the comments on the "By Thy Words" Facebook, I see more mockery than laments.

[Sudsy]

Perhaps David, the Psalmist, was the type of individual who needed to process through writing. The Psalms contain many laments and references to oppressors.

Yes, David, Job, Elijah and others wrote of their depressed states as they talked to God about their circumstances and what they have went and were going through. David would talk to himself like this -

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Ps. 42:11

This reads to me that David knew what he needed to do. I understand this as he needed to walk by faith and not by sight. To trust that God allows us to go through stuff to develop our dependency on Him. Job, not knowing that God was allowing this bad stuff by giving Satan permission, just refused to give up on his trust in God and said even if God kills him, Job would still trust Him.

And in the NT, I think of Paul and his thorn, a 'messenger of Satan that came to buffet him'. Myself, I believe this was a troubling in Paul's mind over something in the past. He prayed 3 times for God to take it away. God said no because it would be used to keep Paul relying on God's strength and ways for his life. Paul took a whole different outlook on the situation and gladly accepted that God was working out the best in his life.

So, when I posted about God setting us free and healing any hurt, I did not mean to infer that God would miraculously take away from our memory every past hurt. He can but He can also leave these to teach us things such as what we need to stop bitterness and resentments from controlling us. To teach us about repentance. I can view things in my past in a 'stumbling block' way to my spiritual growth or a 'stepping stone'. Regardless of what I remember and/or feel about a hurt, the answer, I believe, is to, by faith, receive the on-going filling/control of the Holy Spirit and this enables me to overcome these thoughts and renews the way I look at things to give me the abundant, in the Spirit, life that Jesus promised.

It becomes an issue of how I respond to be offended. Life as a believer includes things that offend us. I don't think we can pray them all away. But God can transform the way we regard them in our thoughts to see them as 'stepping stones' rather than allowing them to be 'stumbling blocks'. To me, it is a matter of how I chose to respond and even here God is involved in enabling me to chose His way.

My current understandings but open to how others view this. Learning never quits.

[mike]

Perhaps David, the Psalmist, was the type of individual who needed to process through writing. The Psalms contain many laments and references to oppressors.

That is true. But David's worst oppressor was Saul and when David had the opportunity to kill Saul, he refrained, because at one point Saul was anointed by God. David left his oppressor in the hands of God.

In reading the comments on the "By Thy Words" Facebook, I see more mockery than laments.

I agree the website seems to be about mockery. Given the nature of the Conservative Mennonite articles and material that are analyzed there, it's not surprising that people make fun of it. There are probably better ways to effect change, but what else can you expect when some of these groups and writers say some of the things they do? It really does get ridiculous. The amazing micromanagement of people's lives by EPMC and other ultra conservatives often seems to produce really bad results.

[TruthSeeker]

Perhaps David, the Psalmist, was the type of individual who needed to process through writing. The Psalms contain many laments and references to oppressors.

That is true. But David's worst oppressor was Saul and when David had the opportunity to kill Saul, he refrained, because at one point Saul was anointed by God. David left his oppressor in the hands of God.

In reading the comments on the "By Thy Words" Facebook, I see more mockery than laments.

I've not seen the Facebook comments on "By Thy Words," and my post was not addressing them. In a more general way, I was reflecting on the reality of different styles of processing/processing needs.

BTW: I enjoyed your mention, Grace, of David sparing Saul. Haven't thought of that account in a long time but am always captivated by it!

[ohio jones]

In reading the comments on the "By Thy Words" Facebook, I see more mockery than laments.

I agree the website seems to be about mockery. Given the nature of the Conservative Mennonite articles and material that are analyzed there, it's not surprising that people make fun of it. There are probably better ways to effect change, but what else can you expect when some of these groups and writers say some of the things they do? It really does get ridiculous. The amazing micromanagement of people's lives by EPMC and other ultra conservatives often seems to produce really bad results.

My concern would be that sooner or later they will run out of the ridiculous micromanagement material (though that will probably take a while) and move on to slightly less ridiculous minimanagement and eventually mainstream management issues, all the while continuing to poke fun at it. The followers, like the proverbial simmering frogs, may end up croaking about things they would now never dream of mocking.

[ken_sylvania]

Perhaps David, the Psalmist, was the type of individual who needed to process through writing. The Psalms contain many laments and references to oppressors.

That is true. But David's worst oppressor was Saul and when David had the opportunity to kill Saul, he refrained, because at one point Saul was anointed by God. David left his oppressor in the hands of God.

In reading the comments on the "By Thy Words" Facebook, I see more mockery than laments.

I agree the website seems to be about mockery. Given the nature of the Conservative Mennonite articles and material that are analyzed there, it's not surprising that people make fun of it. There are probably better ways to effect change, but what else can you expect when some of these groups and writers say some of the things they do? It really does get ridiculous. The amazing micromanagement of people's lives by EPMC and other ultra conservatives often seems to produce really bad results.

It would probably be wise to keep in mind that some of the things you think are normal and appropriate would seem ridiculous to other people more conservative or less conservative than you. I really don't think it's OK to mock people even if they are doing or writing things that seem ridiculous to me.

I could probably find a R&S article to back this up, too, if you would like!

[steve-in-kville]

It really does get ridiculous. The amazing micromanagement of people's lives by EPMC and other ultra conservatives often seems to produce really bad results.

What I, and hopefully the majority of this forum must understand is... for 90+ of people growing up in that environment, its all they know. That is their reality. To sway off course from that would be sin.

[TruthSeeker]

It really does get ridiculous. The amazing micromanagement of people's lives by EPMC and other ultra conservatives often seems to produce really bad results.

What I, and hopefully the majority of this forum must understand is... for 90+ of people growing up in that environment, its all they know. That is their reality. To sway off course from that would be sin.

Master Thread Starter:
Here's to your next thread with the title of: "Life After Being Micromanaged by my Family of Faith While Growing Up."