God’s Love?

[DPMartin]

How is it, that one should love his neighbor as himself? What if you hate yourself, or are experiencing a “life sucks” situation, such as poverty, pending financial difficulty, family situations beyond your control, or heath (so on and so forth) through no fault of your own?

 

[Jim_Baur]

God is Love.

Humans are made in the image and likeness of God.

Our nature is designed to love.

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera

Or, more and more love

 

[DebChris]

You are greater than the circumstances in your life.
Sometimes we forget, as the previous poster began, that we are made in the image and likeness of God.
When we read the story of creation we see that as God finished each day, He proclaimed, “It is good.” When He made man, He proclaimed, “It is very good.”
Ask God to help love yourself.
Paraphrasing the Golden Rule, treat yourself how you would want to be treated by others.

 

[PAboy57]

How is it, that one should love his neighbor as himself? What if you hate yourself, or are experiencing a “life sucks” situation, such as poverty, pending financial difficulty, family situations beyond your control, or heath (so on and so forth) through no fault of your own?

we all have these times. I encourage you to spend some time with the Blessed Sacrament and talk things through with our Lord. It helps me and I have been doing it more often lately. Bottom line is we have to rise above these tough times and prayer and adoration help us to reconcile with God. He will help us!!! Sometimes it doesn’t seem like it is what we need but He knows best. Hang in there. My prayer for you.

MEMORARE,
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen

 

[rcjones]

Sorry you are having a bad day, my friend.

Let’s get some additional information from the scriptures:

The axe represents judgment. “Axe laid at the root”.
Therefore when Elisha removed the axe from the water it was a picture of Jesus removing judgment from the word.

Now look at Deut 19:
5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

In sensus plenior we discern that the act of accidentally killing the friend was an act of hate. How can this be?

Sin nature is acting instinctively like animals rather than placing the Word of God, and love of others first.

An accident, is an act where you do not think of the other first, or you would have checked the axe head and made sure he was in a safe place. It is a sin of the flesh… acting without considering.

The act of judging [axing] another is an act of hate.

In this context, self-love is the sinful instinctive nature. Self-loathing is still a condition of putting oneself first. Measuring oneself by oneself as though you were the center of the universe. And actions taken while depressed, though they may look like they are self-destructive, are still they actions you decided were best for you in the flesh.

This self-love is a given in scriptures, which is why you will never find it saying that you must love yourself in order to love others.

Christ says that we are to die to self. When you are feeling down, seek to serve others. It takes your mind off your fleshly self, and is the essence of love. “If you do right, won’t you be lifted up?”

As far as the circumstances go, when we realize that the circumstances are opportunities to practice trusting God and putting off the old man, we can accept them with joy as if they were gifts from God.

So loving your neighbor as yourself means to develop an instinctive response of putting others first, which we can do if we receive all things with thanksgiving.

 

[PJM]

=DPMartin;6500887]How is it, that one should love his neighbor as himself? What if you hate yourself, or are experiencing a “life sucks” situation, such as poverty, pending financial difficulty, family situations beyond your control, or heath (so on and so forth) through no fault of your own?

In life there is no such thing as “luck,” either good or bad. Further nouthing is a coincidence. Every thing in our life is either caused by God or permitted by God for the opportunity of Grace for us and Glory for God. Even “bad stuff.”

Take Up your Cross and Follow Me

Phil.2: 8 “And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross Luke.9 :23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Mark.8: 34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Luke.9: 23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 14: 7 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

***Why is there pain, sickness, provety Ect? ***

***Christ became man [worse than me and you becomming an earth worm while keeping our minds, intellcts and freewills]

Then He suffered, died, was burried… God did NOT have to do any of this… So why did He?

TO PROVE THAT HE LOVES US! WHAT DOES HE WANT IN RETURN?

GOD WANTS US TO PROVE OUR LOVE FOR HIM BY ACCEPTING THE CROSSES HE GIVES US.

WE DON’T HAVE TOO, WE CAN CHHOSE INSTEAD TO GO TO HELL!

Friend, life is not supposed to b easy. We are here to endue an prove to God that we love Him!***

 

[DebChris]

In the Book of Sirach, we find the admonition, “Be generous to yourself for there is none more misery than the person who is misery to himself.”
If we do not care for ourselves, we will not have the energy necessary to give to others.
Years ago I read the book, Disciple of a Beautiful Woman. Queen Esther spent a year allowing herself to be pampered before she was presented to the king. Each of us is a child of God, a member of a royal priesthood. We have every right to see ourselves as that royalty.
That being said, I want to echo some of what previous posters has stated.
We can become self absorbed. This is the temptation we want to avoid. When we give ourselves to others, our own difficulties begin to diminish.

I would like to close with a quote taken from my daughter’s Facebook:
A wise psychiatrist said… ‘Good mothers tend to be a little bit messy. At least, their grooming isn’t perfect.’ He knew that the touch of the small child, seeking assurance of safety and love, should not be hampered by warnings not to spoil makeup or displace carefully arranged hair. Jesus, our good Lord and our …good friend, would pass my boss’s test for a loving, embracing presence." - Margaret Guenther

 

[Jim_Baur]

God is Love.

We were created to receive His love from Him.

We were created to receive His love from others through Him.

Humans are made in the image and likeness of God.

Our nature is designed to love after we receive His love from Him and others.

In other words, we were made to receive and give love.

Ananlogy: A light bulb was made to receive energy and give off light. The best example is in a flash light.

To use a light bulb for anything else is going to cause frustration. To use a flashlight for a weapon is to cause frustration, and even damage to the flashlight.

To use our human nature for anything else causes misery, frustration, pain, sorry and a living Hell.

 

[DPMartin]

God is Love.

Humans are made in the image and likeness of God.

Our nature is designed to love.

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera

Or, more and more love

Jim Baur

thanks for the reply

Consider Job, where was God’s Love when Job was in his, emotional and mental misery? What was Job’s expectation? At that time.

 

[DPMartin]

You are greater than the circumstances in your life.
Sometimes we forget, as the previous poster began, that we are made in the image and likeness of God.
When we read the story of creation we see that as God finished each day, He proclaimed, “It is good.” When He made man, He proclaimed, “It is very good.”
Ask God to help love yourself.
Paraphrasing the Golden Rule, treat yourself how you would want to be treated by others.

DebChris

thanks you for your reply

How can I be greater then my circumstances? I am not greater then a hurricane that would surly destroy, nor could I be greater then the ground shaking under my feet.

 

[Spencerian]

DebChris

thanks you for your reply

How can I be greater then my circumstances? I am not greater then a hurricane that would surly destroy, nor could I be greater then the ground shaking under my feet.

Hi, there.

The mere existence of one person can make a difference to millions. Would millions of men and women have died between 1939 and 1945 had Adolf Hitler not been born?

Will there be someone you meet today whose life is changed merely by a kind smile from you?

Charity and free will are powerful tools. Don’t underestimate God’s plan for you, yet never feel so prideful that you feel you can do everything.

A hurricane is nothing to a woman in its path if someone with kindness, faith and determination pulls that woman out of the hurricane’s path. That can be you.

 

[DPMartin]

Sorry you are having a bad day, my friend.

Let’s get some additional information from the scriptures:

The axe represents judgment. “Axe laid at the root”.
Therefore when Elisha removed the axe from the water it was a picture of Jesus removing judgment from the word.

Now look at Deut 19:
5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

In sensus plenior we discern that the act of accidentally killing the friend was an act of hate. How can this be?

Sin nature is acting instinctively like animals rather than placing the Word of God, and love of others first.

An accident, is an act where you do not think of the other first, or you would have checked the axe head and made sure he was in a safe place. It is a sin of the flesh… acting without considering.

The act of judging [axing] another is an act of hate.

In this context, self-love is the sinful instinctive nature. Self-loathing is still a condition of putting oneself first. Measuring oneself by oneself as though you were the center of the universe. And actions taken while depressed, though they may look like they are self-destructive, are still they actions you decided were best for you in the flesh.

This self-love is a given in scriptures, which is why you will never find it saying that you must love yourself in order to love others.

Christ says that we are to die to self. When you are feeling down, seek to serve others. It takes your mind off your fleshly self, and is the essence of love. “If you do right, won’t you be lifted up?”

As far as the circumstances go, when we realize that the circumstances are opportunities to practice trusting God and putting off the old man, we can accept them with joy as if they were gifts from God.

So loving your neighbor as yourself means to develop an instinctive response of putting others first, which we can do if we receive all things with thanksgiving.

RCJones

thanks for your reply

This is not to find error, but to know the Way it should be fulfilled. Your posting is wise, my blessed friend, never the less, how is it that God’s Love is fulfilled? No one judges God’s Judgements, with any real result, that would matter to the Lord God, other then His discontent with such.

Could it be that fear and Hope are one in the same?

 

[DPMartin]

In life there is no such thing as “luck,” either good or bad. Further nouthing is a coincidence. Every thing in our life is either caused by God or permitted by God for the opportunity of Grace for us and Glory for God. Even “bad stuff.”

Take Up your Cross and Follow Me

Phil.2: 8 “And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross Luke.9 :23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Mark.8: 34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Luke.9: 23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 14: 7 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

***Why is there pain, sickness, provety Ect? ***

***Christ became man [worse than me and you becomming an earth worm while keeping our minds, intellcts and freewills]

Then He suffered, died, was burried… God did NOT have to do any of this… So why did He?

TO PROVE THAT HE LOVES US! WHAT DOES HE WANT IN RETURN?

GOD WANTS US TO PROVE OUR LOVE FOR HIM BY ACCEPTING THE CROSSES HE GIVES US.

WE DON’T HAVE TOO, WE CAN CHHOSE INSTEAD TO GO TO HELL!

Friend, life is not supposed to b easy. We are here to endue an prove to God that we love Him!***

PJM

thanks for the reply

Tell that to the indignant rich man who prospers in all that he does, his family does well for generations in receiving. They rejoice, and live clean and prosperous lives.

Your “eat dirt and like it” presentation isn’t going to make, or encourage anyone to like it, or embrace it. Is it my friend? Surly the God’s Love isn’t “eat dirt and like”, is it?

 

[DPMartin]

In the Book of Sirach, we find the admonition, “Be generous to yourself for there is none more misery than the person who is misery to himself.”
If we do not care for ourselves, we will not have the energy necessary to give to others.
Years ago I read the book, Disciple of a Beautiful Woman. Queen Esther spent a year allowing herself to be pampered before she was presented to the king. Each of us is a child of God, a member of a royal priesthood. We have every right to see ourselves as that royalty.
That being said, I want to echo some of what previous posters has stated.
We can become self absorbed. This is the temptation we want to avoid. When we give ourselves to others, our own difficulties begin to diminish.

I would like to close with a quote taken from my daughter’s Facebook:
A wise psychiatrist said… ‘Good mothers tend to be a little bit messy. At least, their grooming isn’t perfect.’ He knew that the touch of the small child, seeking assurance of safety and love, should not be hampered by warnings not to spoil makeup or displace carefully arranged hair. Jesus, our good Lord and our …good friend, would pass my boss’s test for a loving, embracing presence." - Margaret Guenther

DebChris

thanks for the reply

If you give yourself to others do they not consume you, lay to waist all that you have done for them? Demanding more according to their desires and agendas. Would this not cause undo stress, and worry for the choices of others?

Could this be self pleasing, and if your garden don’t grow, then what?

 

[Jim_Baur]

I have considered Job.

I have considered Adam, Eve, Pharaoh, and Judas.

I have considered Mao, Stalin, Hitler and other people who have done wicked deeds.

I have considered Moses and David, both were murders.

Moses, David, Adam and Eve repented.

I believe that to reject God’s beauty and love causes misery.

I believe that I was created to receive God’s love from God, parents and others.

I do receive His love.

I as a father and husband receive and give His love.

I am happy.

We are designed to receive and give God’s love. That is happiness.

That is how we inherit eternal life, happiness, or heaven.

God bless!

 

[DebChris]

DebChris

thanks you for your reply

How can I be greater then my circumstances? I am not greater then a hurricane that would surly destroy, nor could I be greater then the ground shaking under my feet.

Hi, there.

The mere existence of one person can make a difference to millions. Would millions of men and women have died between 1939 and 1945 had Adolf Hitler not been born?

Will there be someone you meet today whose life is changed merely by a kind smile from you?

Charity and free will are powerful tools. Don’t underestimate God’s plan for you, yet never feel so prideful that you feel you can do everything.

A hurricane is nothing to a woman in its path if someone with kindness, faith and determination pulls that woman out of the hurricane’s path. That can be you.

Thanks Spencerian,
We never know the effects of our actions. I have had individuals thank me because a year earlier I gave that person a ride or simply took the time to listen.
We are not called to be successful, simply faithful. Even unbelievers understand that “we reap what we sow,” or “what goes around comes around.”
What we give, we give without expecting return. That which we have been freely given, we freely give, not out of coercion but by choice. When we cling to possessions or anything else, it is no longer a gift. It is a possession. Possessions in turn own us as they owned the rich young man who could not follow Christ when asked to relinquish all he had to follow Him.

I have been through earthquakes and typhoons. Yes, there may be property damage, injury, or even death. There is also opportunity. The Chinese use the same word for crisis as they do opportunity. Soldiers who earn the Medal of Honor risk their lives for the welfare of others. I know that my own husband earned the Bronze Medal for Valor, not because of the number of enemy killed (if any), but because he saved his platoon.
Love does not count the cost.

Whether we believe or not, we will face hardships in our life. The question becomes less about what crisis we might face, but rather how we will respond to the opportunity to love when it presents itself.

 

[PJM]

=DPMartin;6504817]PJM

thanks for the reply

Tell that to the indignant rich man who prospers in all that he does, his family does well for generations in receiving. They rejoice, and live clean and prosperous lives.

Your “eat dirt and like it” presentation isn’t going to make, or encourage anyone to like it, or embrace it. Is it my friend? Surly the God’s Love isn’t “eat dirt and like”, is it?

Faith: Including Wisdom. Knowledge and Understanding are all gifts from God. This said; God being God MUST [absolutely speaking] OFFER sufficient grace to every human being, to allow them to FREELY CHOOSE salvation. BUT they cn also refuse it. MANY DO!

My comments are God’s Own Words: I pray they are accepted; but salvation is God’s domain.“Take Up your Cross and Follow Me…”

**Phil.2: 8 **“And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross Luke.9 :23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Mark.8: 34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Luke.9: 23And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke.14: 7 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

***Christ Himself was born in a stable; raised in abject poverty; and was burried in a borrowed tomb… This is GOD we are describing friend. If you wish to complain, it’s falling on deaf ears.

God helps us cary our crosses IF WE LET HIM! Earth is a place to prove our Love for God… heaven, if we attain it is where we get our payback ***

 

[peary]

How is it, that one should love his neighbor as himself? What if you hate yourself, or are experiencing a “life sucks” situation, such as poverty, pending financial difficulty, family situations beyond your control, or heath (so on and so forth) through no fault of your own?

A healthy mind will take care of the body. One should also have experienced all aspects of human love, culminating in the love that God has for us. If you do not have sympathy and empathy for others, then you will never understand how one should take care of his or her neighbor. What you say - the “Life Sucks” syndrome - is a product mostly of first world countries. The less one has to attach to, the more one will “get it.”

 

[DPMartin]

To all thanks, for your replies

It is quit surprising the answers on the subject of God’s Love.

1. Everyone that has posted assumed I was speaking of myself as one who feels or is experiencing some sort of despair which if you all might note, I did not say I was in despair, or speaking of myself. An assumption of your own views, or a instinctive reaction of that which is of yourselves.
2. Some answers were near hostile in nature. (Are we talking about God’s Love here?) Kinda like “I know what love is you can’t tell me”. Well sure, even the wicked love their own, any man knows his own love for what ever, or who ever it is he loves. Just because you love something you admire doesn’t make you like God., many people love many things, and persons, that in no way does it make them like God. Does it?

The vessel is made of clay folks, and what is therein is what counts. The vessel doesn’t show what God is like, God show what He is like in, and with the vessel. Otherwise the vessel contains some thing else. Peter didn’t show what God is like, God showed what He is like, in Peter in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider the names synonymous with the Lord their God like Moses, or Samuel, or King David. Moses didn’t show what God was like to the Israelites, God show what He is like in and with Moses. If you think that the vessel is the image of God, without the Presence of God in the vessel. You are mistaken. How can one be like God without the Presence of God in them and with them?

The clay is not like God no matter what shape or form it may be. It is the Holy Presence of God in the vessel, which is what Jesus Christ established, the Presence of God in the Son of man.

As Jesus said, God is a Spirit.
Jn:4:24: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

again thanks