loving / caring about others.

I know that as a Christian I am supposed to love others. Often times I just feel neutral about the needs of others and I feel bad about that. I see other Christians who seem to have a genuine broken heart for the hardships that people face, yet for myself, even though I will make an effort to pray for them I know that God sees through it and my prayer just seems mechanical. I help by giving financial support when I can and in deed by being the hands and feet of Christ with assistance but I wish my heart could be more sincere.
Anyone else go through these struggles? I wonder if part of it is just the society we live in today, it sometimes seems difficult to differentiate between those with sincere needs and those who just want to depend on others.
 
I know that as a Christian I am supposed to love others. Often times I just feel neutral about the needs of others and I feel bad about that. I see other Christians who seem to have a genuine broken heart for the hardships that people face, yet for myself, even though I will make an effort to pray for them I know that God sees through it and my prayer just seems mechanical. I help by giving financial support when I can and in deed by being the hands and feet of Christ with assistance but I wish my heart could be more sincere.
Anyone else go through these struggles? I wonder if part of it is just the society we live in today, it sometimes seems difficult to differentiate between those with sincere needs and those who just want to depend on others.

I think the enemy also puts those thoughts in our minds. Sometimes I find myself feeling distant to others, but then I realize that the enemy puts those thoughts into my head and then I have to shake them off and start praying. I think it's normal as a christian to have the enemy bombard our minds in different ways that affect us personally in unique ways toward us. Does that make sense. The enemy knows just how to mess with our minds. It's quite frustrating. Dont fall into that trap and pray and refuse to let the enemy get a hold of your thoughts / mind.
 
I find at times when i begin to "feel" like that, or get bombarded with those thoughts... its time to renew my mind with the Word to what God has placed inside my spirit when I was first born again. (Romans 5:5 and Galatians 5:22-23)

I also check to see how much time I'm spending watching regular tv and how much violence I'm allowing into my mind and heart.

Just watching tv can feed our spirits with the wrong information, causing our minds to be renewed to the wrong things and desensitized to the compassion of Christ (the anointing of the anointed One).

Our thoughts also play a huge role as well. If we allow negative uncaring thoughts to stay in our minds, without casting them down to make them obedient to Christ's ways (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) we then are allowing ourselves to meditate upon ungodly thinking... thinking that is opposite of God.

Something to remember is that when we were born again.... it was only our spirits that got reborn. Our minds and our flesh (worldly, ungodly nature) was not, and is why Romans 12:1-2 Tell us to submit our bodies and renew our minds to The Fathers ways. We also get told in many places that we need to train our flesh and tongue and such to submit to God's ways.

Another thing the Lord just reminded me of was the hardening of the heart. Many times we don't realize that we are doing this... but when we harden our hearts to compassion... it forms a type of callous, that only can be removed by stopping the resistance of love, compassion and grace.

It's a process, and a daily walk, but the more we do it, the easier it gets. It becomes a lifestyle, which is rich in itself. Sometimes just realizing what's going on in us is the beginning of the changes we need to make.

God bless you abundantly with grace and peace
 
I wonder if part of it is just the society we live in today, it sometimes seems difficult to differentiate between those with sincere needs and those who just want to depend on others.

Hi Doug 74,
This is a great thread because if we are honest with our selves, well we have all been there at one time or another.

In this hour it is very difficult to know if some one truly needs help or if they have more money then you have and are playing on people's emotions to simply get free easy money.

Something the Lord said to me one day just set me free. He said if I want you to help that person or go minister to that person , I will tell you and you will know without any doubt.

Then He began teaching me about the importance of being Spirit Led. As born again Christians, we don't need a Reason to not do something but need A Reason to do it or another words Led by Him to do it.

We as born again believers must constantly stay in His Word and Direct Fellowship with Him other wise this world or society will slowly begin to De-Sensitize you to the things of the Lord including the Fruit of the Spirit.

He was not kidding when He said this.
2 Corinthians 6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Much of the new Testament teaches us to keep our selves separate from this world and it's ways. This is vitally important for a Born Again Believer in this hour. It is way to easy to be pulled away from the ways of God, little by little and piece by piece being De-Sensitized to the things of God.

Blessings and Welcome again to cfs.
FCJ
 
I think the enemy also puts those thoughts in our minds. Sometimes I find myself feeling distant to others, but then I realize that the enemy puts those thoughts into my head and then I have to shake them off and start praying. I think it's normal as a christian to have the enemy bombard our minds in different ways that affect us personally in unique ways toward us. Does that make sense. The enemy knows just how to mess with our minds. It's quite frustrating. Dont fall into that trap and pray and refuse to let the enemy get a hold of your thoughts / mind.

good comment, yes he can change us little by little until we think this is the new norm. thank you.
ps, neat dog, I have two rescue dogs and one of them looks just like yours but with slightly smaller ears.
 
I find at times when i begin to "feel" like that, or get bombarded with those thoughts... its time to renew my mind with the Word to what God has placed inside my spirit when I was first born again. (Romans 5:5 and Galatians 5:22-23)

I also check to see how much time I'm spending watching regular tv and how much violence I'm allowing into my mind and heart.

Just watching tv can feed our spirits with the wrong information, causing our minds to be renewed to the wrong things and desensitized to the compassion of Christ (the anointing of the anointed One).

Our thoughts also play a huge role as well. If we allow negative uncaring thoughts to stay in our minds, without casting them down to make them obedient to Christ's ways (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) we then are allowing ourselves to meditate upon ungodly thinking... thinking that is opposite of God.

Something to remember is that when we were born again.... it was only our spirits that got reborn. Our minds and our flesh (worldly, ungodly nature) was not, and is why Romans 12:1-2 Tell us to submit our bodies and renew our minds to The Fathers ways. We also get told in many places that we need to train our flesh and tongue and such to submit to God's ways.

Another thing the Lord just reminded me of was the hardening of the heart. Many times we don't realize that we are doing this... but when we harden our hearts to compassion... it forms a type of callous, that only can be removed by stopping the resistance of love, compassion and grace.

It's a process, and a daily walk, but the more we do it, the easier it gets. It becomes a lifestyle, which is rich in itself. Sometimes just realizing what's going on in us is the beginning of the changes we need to make.

God bless you abundantly with grace and peace

Thank you. Another thought I realized as reading your comment is that it is not always wise to compare ourselves to other Christians, we should first compare our lives to Jesus and his teachings.
 
Thank you. Another thought I realized as reading your comment is that it is not always wise to compare ourselves to other Christians, we should first compare our lives to Jesus and his teachings.

Thank you Sir,
That's it!! What you said is priceless and key to our growth in Christ.
Blessings
FCJ
 
There is an old saying. We don't carry people, we carry the message.

The first part of that saying is about helping others to carry themselves. Sure we carry someone who genuinely cannot at the time, but in reality that is rare (unless you work in a hospital). The goal is to help others to help themselves. To help them to become empowered and independent. Tough-love is often used for those who have become dependent on secondary gain. Example, using their disability to push in front of a que. Enabling them to do that helps nobody. Even Jesus mainly helped those of great need and were unconditional (humbled).

The second part is mostly as a role model for Christianity. Talking to others while in the Spirit is carrying the message.Truthfulness, and unconditional love for the truth in others, is the starting point for introducing God who does all the unconditional love and carrying for others. We are just His vehicle (our body), His servant, for expressing His Spirit in us. It is God in us which is loving and caring about others. All we do is let go of self fears through faith (being unconditional). Then the Truth in us takes over, and discernment of what is true in others is what gets cared for, or nourished.

What I am talking about may sound somewhat deep, but it is available for those that believe in Christ, and all what He has taught us. It takes time, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, to grasp the depths of unconditional love - which is what Truth is. To be unconditional also means to be honest (True), doubtless, fearless, not needing or wanting anything for self, loving and caring (for what is true), patient, tolerant, trustworthy, reliable, available, forgiving, listening, and teaching (revealing). It also means we can turn the other cheek be being exposed and vulnerable in other people's (conditional) eyes. But we don't see it that way, for we are cloaked by/in Christ.
 
Hi Doug 74,
This is a great thread because if we are honest with our selves, well we have all been there at one time or another.

In this hour it is very difficult to know if some one truly needs help or if they have more money then you have and are playing on people's emotions to simply get free easy money.

Something the Lord said to me one day just set me free. He said if I want you to help that person or go minister to that person , I will tell you and you will know without any doubt.

Then He began teaching me about the importance of being Spirit Led. As born again Christians, we don't need a Reason to not do something but need A Reason to do it or another words Led by Him to do it.

We as born again believers must constantly stay in His Word and Direct Fellowship with Him other wise this world or society will slowly begin to De-Sensitize you to the things of the Lord including the Fruit of the Spirit.

He was not kidding when He said this.
2 Corinthians 6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Much of the new Testament teaches us to keep our selves separate from this world and it's ways. This is vitally important for a Born Again Believer in this hour. It is way to easy to be pulled away from the ways of God, little by little and piece by piece being De-Sensitized to the things of God.

Blessings and Welcome again to cfs.
FCJ
Jim, thank you for the comments, I actually woke up this morning thinking about what you said. One thing I realized that may be part of my problem is I focus on the needs of groups of people at large more than specific individuals. Jesus said that the poor will always be with us, so it seems that just sending out a generic prayer for large groups of unknown people gets disappointing as there is no feedback and as he said , they are still there. Your suggestion of looking for opportunities for the Lord to provide that one person in need at a time is promising.
 
I know that as a Christian I am supposed to love others. Often times I just feel neutral about the needs of others and I feel bad about that. I see other Christians who seem to have a genuine broken heart for the hardships that people face, yet for myself, even though I will make an effort to pray for them I know that God sees through it and my prayer just seems mechanical. I help by giving financial support when I can and in deed by being the hands and feet of Christ with assistance but I wish my heart could be more sincere.
Anyone else go through these struggles? I wonder if part of it is just the society we live in today, it sometimes seems difficult to differentiate between those with sincere needs and those who just want to depend on others.
i used to be non-emotional toward people - all business and no compassion

i knew the right thing to do and did it - but i didn't do it with emotion/passion/compassion

short version is God told me one day that i didn't love people - it shocked me - and for a year and a half i asked God every day to give me love for people - and then He did

i could be wrong - but imo some people have a great love for people - and it is a gift from God

i had a great love for doing things right - and that is a gift from God too

i wanted the gift of loving people and God did eventually give it to me - so now i have both

this may be your situation too - or your situation may be something entirely different

i am praying for you to have all the awesome desires God has planted in your heart - without any condemnation or shame - only an awesome experience of more of God and more of His gifts in your life

God bless you my dearest friend
 
My post might be off-topic. My apologies.

On my 2nd trip to an orphanage in Mexico, selfish thoughts began to creep into my mind.

99% of the 33 team members attend the same church.

I am one of the few people who does not attend N church.

After we had finished serving/volunteering at the orphanage, all of us went out to lunch before we began the trip back across the border to the United States.

As we were eating lunch, the young woman sitting directly across from me completely ignored me.

To make matters worse, everyone was enjoying an intoxicating beverage with their tacos while I drank my soda.

The head of the orphanage ministry team is a personal friend of mine whom I have known for the past 17 years.

I told my friend T that I would no longer be serving at the orphanage in Mexico.

My friend T sent me a text message that said, "Don't think about your own desires. Think of the children."

As soon as I read my friend's text message, I re-commmitted myself to serving at the Mexico orphanage every month.

The point that I am trying to make is that as followers of Christ Jesus, all of us struggle in the areas that the OP mentioned.

Truthfrees has given good advice - I should pray that God our Father will grant me love for people.

Casa Hogar.jpg
 
I should pray that God our Father will grant me love for people.

After you pray... I thought i would share with you what The Holy Spirit showed me to do ....renew my mind with the Word. Finding Scriptures about Love and meditating upon them. Like Romans 5:5 and the book of 1 John.

When we struggle with loving others... we are not making our flesh and fleshly desires submit to what God has already placed within our spirits when we were born again.

Blessings to you my friend
 
This reminds me of what Peter did with the beggar outside the temple and also what Jesus did with the woman at the well. Many of the earlier posts have touched on it as well.

True love is giving through the Spirit. "Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6)

I've always been a natural "helper" and by God's grace he's shown me the prideful sin in thinking my personal resources could ever really help anyone! Including me "And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well." (Matt 5:40)

So to me this is a two fold issue that I still find myself getting mixed up with when presented with a need. 1) How much value am I putting on any earthly thing? How badly do I need this resource/How much will it help them? 2) How can I use this opportunity to point them to Jesus who is the Living Water?
 
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