5/9/25
Hello Mortal Angel –
How are you doing?
Not to brag and all but I’ve made a couple trips to urgent care recently due to self inflicted accidents, with the second one was just a couple of hours ago! (Sheesh!:)) Praying to break this trend, for sure. So here’s an article I wrote several months ago for another purpose.
Do you ever wonder what a person really meant after a conversation with them or what the Bible intends when it seems to offer up seemingly contradictory wisdom depending on which verse you’re reading?
Have you ever walked away from a conversation or situation thinking you understood what just transpired, only to later realize there was another connotation meant and you missed the actual intention?
Sometimes it’s not a big deal and is laughable, and other times it can cause major misunderstandings or mistakes from not understanding instructions correctly.
Have you ever noticed the Bible can seem to be kinda like that? There are verses that say ,“Turn the other cheek” or to forgive ‘70×7’ yet Jesus did not suffer fools gladly.
One example is with the Pharisees. They deemed them selves as God’s Perfect Chosen and insisted others worship the rules (instead of God) exactly as they did. Those who dared to think for their selves and worshiped God instead of the Pharisees’ control were harshly dealt with, even to the point of crucifixion. Jesus was very clear about what was so offensive about them and their behavior.
There’s also the perspective of: “Well, if Jesus loves me and I’m perpetually forgiven, then that means I can do whatever I want and get away with it.” The belief is there are no consequences for hurtful (to self or others) actions no matter how many times they’re repeated or how intentionally harmful they are. If their conscience does become uneasy, the guilty might just say, ‘Sorry, God’ then continue on with no atonement or sincere attempt at modification of behavior.
That leads us to the seemingly contradictory admonishment to shake the dust off of our feet when instructed to walk away from those who would not listen to teachings of the Gospel. There’s also the verse, “Bad company corrupts good character”. (1Cor15:33).
Now it can really get confusing as to what the Bible is telling us.
I’ve known wonderful people who have been in abusive situations; some got out of them when they could, others stayed to their own and/or children’s detriment.
A few stayed and eventually – sometimes years later – the relationships healed and they went on to have a loving and mutually fulfilling coexistence.
The abused may even end up bringing their abuser to Christ, as Joyce Meyer did with her father who sexually abused her for most of her childhood and who remained a bitter, angry man right up until he was saved not long before he died at a ripe old age.
I have an amazing friend who is one of those who stayed in a dysfunctional marriage for many years and now has the type of relationship she’s always hoped for with her husband. She recently asked why it was right for her to stay in her marriage but it’s obviously not so for many others to do the same.
Like most people, I’ve been in every different type of relationship to varying degrees of health, and don’t have a definitive answer as to if what I did, which aligned with either of those Biblical principles, would be considered Biblically correct actions.
But like my friend, I did what was right, even though we’e made diverse decisions.
I think that’s why the Bible is called the ‘Living Word’. The Ten Commandments are pretty explicit and concrete for all, with the rest of it applicable to each one of us, perhaps in different ways. The Holy Spirit leads us to what’s right for our individual situations (& imperfections) within the parameters of the Bible’s caring, varying dictates.
Dear Heavenly Abba –
Thank You for Your Living Word that, when coupled with our choice to have a personal relationship with Jesus, can give us all the guidance we need as the individuals You created us to be.
And thank You that when we do wander off Your path, whether innocently or intentionally, You are always here to get us back on track if we are receptive to Your correction.
Hallelujah & Amen!
