FROM JOHN COLLINS MINISTRIES:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians
2:20 (NKJV).
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| 'I'm fine' How many time do we avoid being honest with those who we love~John Collins, Evangelist |
‘What’s wrong?’, ‘Nothing.’, ‘How are you?’, ‘I’m fine.’
How
many times have these questions and answers been given in your life? How many
unsaid issues get brushed aside, pushed down and built up? How many avoidances
have you given or received? Why is it so hard to express what is going on
inside? Our children don’t talk, we don’t talk, everyone avoids the real issues
and ignores what is really going on. Is it any wonder why there are so many
therapists out there? When did it become necessary to talk to strangers in
order to express the truth? Why can’t we be honest with our loved ones? When
did they become the enemy, the judge, the jury and the executioner? Is that how
we feel about them, as if they couldn’t handle the truth of our souls?
Honesty has been buried in a wave of ‘I’m fines.’ Small
issues and hurt feelings become grudges and hate. This world is turning in
itself one person at a time, one family at a time, one neighborhood at a time,
one city at a time, and one country at a time. Everyone is at war. No one wants
to be honest and no one wants to find a solution and our reality has become a
shell game of existence of hiding one part of our lives from the other. Where
is the transparency of life, the simplicity of truth and the willingness to
share all of who you are with the ones you supposedly love?
Avoidance breeds distrust and distrust breeds suspicion and
suspicion breeds assumptions and the process undermines love and relationships
are lost in the desire to avoid confrontation which leads to an explosion of
emotion and words said that cannot be taken back and actions that follow that
cannot be taken back when honesty and a willingness to listen and really hear
what is being said can resolve so many issues in the first place.
Jesus taught us to listen with our hearts as He does and as
God does. You would be surprised how many times your heart would have you
forgive someone and your mind stirs up hate over and over again, how your heart
would have you take time to help someone in need but your mind spreads fear and
you give that instead, how many times your heart would have you humbled and
apologize but your mind demands that you are right and deserve that apology
instead, that your heart would have you reaching out for help but your mind
isolates you into a world of despair.
Become more Christ-like today and begin to listen to your heart instead of your mind.
“Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good
comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be
with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NKJV).
