Does etiquette ever interfere with your spiritual mind and growth? It does mine big time. Sometimes I feel the need to focus on spirituality, feelings, and soul care development? About the time I read a few great popular books and get the freedom to be me, so they tell me, I stumble across a passage of Bible Scripture that I read many times but now it starts to interfere with my new self help books. My new modern etiquette gets a little test.
Here is an example that muddles my mind taken right from the Bible:
“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” Luke 14:13, NRSV
Why, if I might ask? “He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid… 14 ) And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
No, something is really wrong here. I want to be invited back. I believe that is owed to me. I want to enjoy the sharing and rewards of gathering. Don’t you? Or, is this just me?
thedailylily.com 
Sara, you stated and asked, “I want to enjoy the sharing and rewards of gathering. Don’t you? Or, is this just me?”
My response to your question, “Don’t you?” is yes, I do, also.
I do see a contrast between ‘etiquette’ and the clear command in those scriptures you shared.
A few days ago I read an Oswald Chambers devotion that talked about some hard things that Jesus said. I will share a few sentences that spoke to me that I think relate to what I am hearing/understanding here on this blog.
“Jesus Christ says a great deal that we listen to, but do not hear; when we do hear, His words are amazingly hard.”…”Our Lord never pleaded, He never cajoled, He never entrapped; He simply spoke the sternest words mortal ears ever listened to, and then left it alone.”…”Our Lord knows perfectly that when once His word is heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. The terrible thing is that some of us prevent it bearing fruit in actual life. I wonder what we will say when we do make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point?”….
Just a few minutes ago I read these words penned by a great Christian friend….Took me by surprise since I thought she was near perfect. Now, I know she is. She is authentic in my book. ” I love, love to travel and be exposed to different cultures and languages, but bottom line is I’m about as Southern and country as they get😡 I can’t help that and really hate my attitude lately. I’ve found out that people who you think are your friends are not, that people who are church-goers and proclaim Christ on their every minute functions are hypocrites, people will smile to your face and instantly run and tell what you say and add crap—-the list is endless! I’m not talking about the sincere and really Christ-like folks; but for many as well as myself; it’s like Attitude City! And BTW; I hate it when some folks are so arrogant that I declare they would drown in a rain-storm b/c their nose is in the air. And that’s not me— my self-esteem is negative whatever! I’m going on a sabbatical.” All I can say is WOW!
In our blog, I wrote, “Sometimes I feel the need to focus on spirituality, feelings, and soul care development.” Then, I responded in comment posting my friends’s frustration. The word ‘feelings’ has sort of been a microwave meal in my mind lately. It seems my friend had some strong feelings and we got a name, ‘Attitude City’! Hey, I sure don’t want to own a cottage there. I’m seeing she and I certainly have strong feelings about a few things. They shook our souls seemly where we lodge our spirituality. Now, comes the soul care. Why did she and I both care about issues that belong to others not us. I have a few scriptures from God’s word that popped in my head like a champagne shake and bottle pop losing more than a fizz. Our soul question is, where did we go wrong? Surely, we know, a denial of a rule with conquences, maybe? Refusing to act or speak because of a conceived lost? Oh, the list could go tree root long. But, let’s learn the value of delete you and move on!
I know of a few people that actually want to hold on to the past and when free even pray to go back to the rot*of the old tree root. I’m not saying I haven’t been guilty at times of the feeling but in soul care you forget those things that are behind and press on to the new. (Philippians 3:13 Words of Paul once old Saul)….she and I need to leave them where they chose to be and not give them a minute more of scarlet fever emotions. i.e. She needs to schedule herself another trip and enjoy the world. I need to make more wear art with feisty colors and churn out words to gentle listening ears that bear fruit with my imagative words. Yes, I could care less about ones that return to their own vomit. I say all this to bring soul care help to my friend and I. Our true compassion for people (she is a nurse and I a spiritual teacher) let soulish feelings of compassion beguile us into thinking we failed another. Which is a lie from the coals of hell. They failed themselves.* We will be rewarded at the appropriate time and by the rewarder of good deeds with no attachments. Hooray for freedom!
*Proverbs 14:30 “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like rot-cancer in the bones.”
“Our true compassion for people (she is a nurse and I a spiritual teacher) let soulish feelings of compassion beguile us into thinking we failed another. Which is a lie from the coals of hell. They failed themselves.* We will be rewarded at the appropriate time and by the rewarder of good deeds with no attachments. ”
I don’t know about anyone else, but the above words encourage me!
Tammy, those words greatly encourage me also,, They give me HOPE! They give me strength to help me not grow weary while doing good. I have had a number of times to fight those that beguile (rob, condemn, disqualify, etc) Colossians 2:18 off and out of my thoughts and feelings. They give false help with grinning smiles and sell-pity and even love notes while abusing the gift of God in us. Just think how calculated that is. They control our feelings while we are giving our gift freely for the good of others but they jump in with raw mouth rot to hinder. We are told the enemy comes to rob, kill and destroy and he does when he has our emotions wrapped in his embrace. Serious business. Therefore, I greatly enjoy and appreciate the light that brings truth and clarity. And, clarity brings holiness and beauty. (Psalm 97:10-12) God sows light in us and like a good seed grows and spreads beauty and wisdom.
Yes, Sara, let’s continue to work and encourage one another with the truth of God’s Word so the devil has no room to rob, kill, and destroy!
Yes and amen!
Ai-yi-yi- That is quite a manifesto. Seems like we will have to write off half of the human race, doesn’t it? And who will rescue these depraved souls? Are they ”simon’s crosses” that we should be bearing? Am I spiritually strong enough to confront the backbiter who might be sitting across from my pew in church? Or am I emotionally strong enough to say it and mean it, ”go ahead and two-face me…I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live…and It’s Christ Who lives in me?! As Jesse Duplantis says…” I’m a dead man”
Rhetorical questions of course…. NOT!
MG, not sure I get your point?
Reading Sara and Tammy’s comments above and then thinking more on Sara’s words, “Therefore, I greatly enjoy and appreciate the light that brings truth and clarity. ” made me think of a quote from one of Sara’s books, “Throwing Your Light Forward – Relationship, Friendship, Fellowship”. Sara’s words in her book preceding the quote pertained to the contrast of light and darkness: “The darkness arises from error, ignorance, disobedience, willful blindness, and rebellion. Darkness is an evil system absolutely opposed to the light.”
The quote in her book by Robert Louis Stevenson following her words was, ” Punch holes in your darkness.”
I think Sara and Tammy did that in their discussion above.
Light surely does punch holes in darkness! Sometimes I awake in the middle of the night slightly startled with the dark of darkness. I reach for my cell phone that has a built in flash light and it guides me right to the frig for a midnight snack. Without the light I would stumble on floor books, bang my nose on doors, trip on a stair step among other numerous things that would most likely only happen in the pitch dark night while a little dazed with sleep. Awee, but that little light gives light in every dark place it shines. And, as simple as my little light seems to me, yet only given to me by a brilliant engineer/designer, is the example a man named Jesus proclaimed and proves when we buy into His truth! “What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘I am the Light of the World’ (John 8:12)?” Try Him when you have a dark night.
Sara, you asked, ““What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘I am the Light of the World’ (John 8:12)?”. One thing that strikes me about what He said is that He said He was THE light, not A light, or just one of many lights. I think on a dark night, I want THE original, authentic, tried and true light that won’t fail to give light. I also noticed reading John 8:12 that He said if I follow Him (and His light) closely, I won’t have to walk in the dark. That is a comfort.