Some of the things I’ve been musing about lately:
Have you ever worked on a blog post, and before you finished it, you saw that one or more of the blogs you follow covered the same topic? That’s happened to me several times. Sometimes I wonder if I should write something else instead. I don’t want to seem like I am copying someone else. But most often, I go ahead with the post I’ve been working on. I figure if God laid the same topic on two or more people’s hearts the same week, He must want that particular message to go out. And usually there’s enough of a difference that posts on the same idea don’t sound like one was taken from the other.
Sometimes, though, a thought from someone else’s post will spark thoughts that turn into a blog post here.
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If onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it is, I wonder if there’s a name for words that sound like the opposite of what they are. I think one word in that category is “sublime.” Merriam-Webster says sublime means “lofty, grand, or exalted in thought, expression, or manner; of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or moral worth; tending to inspire awe usually because of elevated quality (as of beauty, nobility, or grandeur) or transcendent excellence.” But the word sublime itself sounds the opposite of lofty, grand, awe-inspiring, or transcendent.
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In my last post like this, I expressed dislike of sentences starting with the phrase “If I’m being honest,” because it sounds like the speaker is saying they’re not usually honest. But then I saw in Romans 9:1 that Paul starts a sentence with “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit . . .” So I guess I have to take back negative feelings about those kinds of phrases. 🙂 Sometimes they are used for emphasis.
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I’ve seen a meme going around with the sentiment that when you share the gospel, it doesn’t matter whether the other person responds. You’ve done your duty; you’ve been faithful, and that’s all that matters.
It’s true that we have no control over how anyone responds. Only God can open spiritual eyes and convict hearts.
But I don’t know if the attitude “I’ve done my duty and that’s all that matters” is a very effective witness. It seems like that would come across as not particularly caring about the other person’s soul.
My Sunday School teacher just said last week that duty is required in the Christian life, but it’s not sufficient in itself: we need to have love for people.
I prefer Spurgeon’s attitude when he said, “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”
The Apostle Paul’s heart seems similar in the passage mentioned earlier: “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:1-3).
As passionately as I yearn for my loved ones to be know Christ, I don’t know if I could honestly say I wish I could be cursed if they would be saved as a result. But that’s how Jesus loved. He took our sin on Himself and bore God’s curse in our place. He’s the only one who could. He wept over the city of Jerusalem, which was not willing to come to Him, though He would have gathered them like a hen gathers its young under its wings. May my heart become more like His.
(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)
Stray Thoughts 
Barbara, I love when that happens, when two hearts are headed in the same direction and their writing reflects that. It really hits home for their readers, who might have needed that repeated message of hope or encouagement.
Sometimes hearing a particular topic from different angles is helpful. I figure if God lays a similar message on different hearts at the same time, He must have a reason.
I love your thoughts on “I’ve done all I can do, and that’s what matters.” In a memoir I’m reading about a young woman in the 1850’s she says “I cannot say in reference to my conversation with one human being, that I have done all that I could to bring him to a knowledge of Christ. Oh, have we not cause for deep humiliation!”
and in another diary entry she wrote: “On my way home I called on Mrs. C to try to persuade her to be on the Lord’s side, but was not much encouraged. I told her I would continue to pursue her on the subject as long as my life should continue, or until she became offended, or induced to accept the terms of salvation–so help me God.”
That sounds so interesting! May I ask what memoir this is? My biggest problem with sharing the gospel is missed opportunities. Either I can’t think of what to say in the moment, or I’ve convinced myself they don’t want to hear. I can write about the gospel with no problem, but I falter when confronting someone face to face. I pray God will help His truth get to people I should have spoken to and didn’t.
It’s called “A Life Hid with Christ in God” about Susan Allibone. I actually re-typed and re-published it and would love to send you a complimentary copy. I just know you would love it. If you’d like one, just let me know. Kariandcompany@comcast.net
I love the Spurgeon quote. Loving those we witness to can be a challenge. I’m still working on that one.
It’s hard when it’s someone you love, but they’ve said they don’t want to hear it. I pray God will open their hearts.
I often find that others have written about similar topics when I’m ready to publish a post but I kind of enjoy reading their take on it.
I do, too–it’s fun to compare notes. We all come at things with different backgrounds, so it’s interesting to hear another’s take on a topic.
Fun post ideas! I hardly follow any blogs, so I don’t have the first situation happening much. But I do notice that I’ll blog (or even THINK) about something and then see ads, posts, etc on the internet about those things. Now that’s a bit creepy!
Yeah, sublime seems “sub” or below par in some way. I hadn’t thought of it, but–interesting.
Conflicted thoughts on “I’ve done what I could” etc. Sometimes I just feel so overwhelmed with various things in life that the thought “it’s in God’s hands now” is comforting. I guess I feel like, whether or not a person is saved (or whatever situation happens) isn’t really dependent on how passionate I feel about it. But I get what you’re saying, it’s an indication of our love etc. that we really deeply care. I’m reminded of an aunt of mine. When she visits, she spends a lot of time on Facebook and every 2 or 3 minutes calls me over to show me some sad situation a friend of hers is in. She obviously is very worked up over these things. I get that, but at the same time–I only have so much emotional capacity, and most of that is already tied up in people I do actually know. Not directly what you were referencing, but it came to mind 🙂
It’s true that people can be saved even when we’re not passionate witnesses. I think of Jonah–he really didn’t care, and even hoped Nineveh would be judged rather than converted. Yet God worked through his message to save the city. But I don’t think he’s a shining example of what evangelism should look like. 🙂
I’m not of the mind that because God is sovereign, it doesn’t matter what I do–so much of the Bible is about what we’re supposed to do and the spirit we’re supposed to do it in.
But it is a comfort that God can use our faltering attempts. That may have been what the originator of the meme I mentioned had in mind. But the way it was worded, it sounded more like delivering a jury summons than dealing with someone about their soul.
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I’m the same way, I love when I come across one of our blogging friends writing about something similar to what I’ve written. It warms my heart to think that God placed something similar on several hearts at the same time. We have different takes based on our life’s experiences or if we’re going through something similar. I love those ” you too, I thought it was just me” moments.
I’m a good one for not remembering where I read something and now is one of those times. But I read something on the lines of how we’re supposed to plant the seed and let God do the growing. That after we’ve planted the seed it’s between God and the other person. I like when I’ve been talking about Jesus with someone and some time later someone asks me questions and I can go deeper. Kind of like us bringing the fish and loaves to the table and then he multiplies.
I love your stray thoughts today.
Thanks so much for sharing them with Sweet Tea & Friends this month sweet friend.