Reading

rocknrollchuck · 2022-05-21T03:52:18+00:00

You've heard the saying "Put your own oxygen mask on before attempting to help others around you", right? Well that's important. No Christian can serve God faithfully for long if they wear themselves down to the bone. Plus when you're weary, the enemy can attack you much more easily.

Jesus actually set the example: He went off by Himself to pray and seek solitude many times, even when the crowds were clamoring for Him and wanting healing and miracles. Jesus knew that taking care of Himself was important and made it a priority.

Selfishness and self-care are two different things - although they may appear similar on the surface. The difference is motive.

sea-tease · 2022-05-21T12:41:46+00:00

Starting to realize that ironically growing up in a church and religious family may have contributed to some unhealthy subconcious patterns.

Man. This was probably the hardest part of my RP journey. I realized that A LOT of church teachings contributed to unhealthy patterns and nearly destroyed my marriage. I kind of lost my s*** and fumed spiritually for a long time - feeling lied to. Specifically "Selflessness and sacrifice for others is the mark and path to holiness and fulfillment." It isn't. This path leads to a hollow man in the long run, and I see a lot of them in the church.

It is not anti Christian at all though. The teaching has just been perverted. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor AS YOURSELF. I have found it important to be and live out ME. It's who God created. I have also found as I live unapologetically and authentically in my frame, others are far more drawn to me. Much more opportunity and I've found I'm actually pretty selfless from a position of strength and frame, I just don't have unrealized covert contracts tied to doing things for others.

Life is a balance...

JabberWookie_77 · 2022-05-21T08:50:58+00:00

Along with what Chuck said, a lot of this confusion can come down to definitions. You have to be careful with words like love. People abuse the concept of love all the time. “You don’t approve of my lifestyle and moral choices, you don’t love me…”, “if you really loved me, you’d have sex with me…” “if you really loved me, you’d do everything like I say when I say.”

None of these are love. Jesus is our perfect model of self sacrificial love, but no where do you see him budge an inch of his purpose.

It is the height of arrogance to think you can do it all at all times. Sometimes love is stepping back admitting you’re to weak and need rest and care to survive the long haul.

NMMNG is not scripture, so it’s not infallible. You need to read self care through a biblical lens. Throw away what’s not useful.

What you’ll find, is that if you “selfishly” care for yourself, you’ll have more to give long term. You’ll have better health and possibly live longer.

Don’t forget the second great commandment… “love your neighbor as yourself.”

WhereProgressIsMade · 2022-05-26T22:09:15+00:00

A big one that gets me is it's very common for Christians to say or write something like, "love your wife more than yourself. Put your wife's needs ahead of your own."

I must have a different Bible, because mine says things like "each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself" Eph 5:33 and "Love your neighbor as yourself" Mark 12:31.

It seems like it comes from " Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." John 15:13 and "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" Eph 5:25 and reasoning that it shows you love her more than yourself. They forget Christ had some reluctance the night before His death, asking the Father if there was any other way, but submitted to the Father and went ahead with the plan. (Not exactly the romantic scene like Romeo & Juliet where Romeo is so madly in love with her that he choses death over being apart). The important part being that Jesus was obeying the Father and not the church (bride/wife). The disciples (church) never asked Him to die for their sins; they were confused about what happened and what it meant.

Banned_On_Facebook · 2022-05-22T16:27:49+00:00

My wife doesn't like it when I eat and then help the children cut their food and things. The problem is I'm usually limited time and need to get to work. If I didn't eat first, I might not get to. I don't think it's selfish, considering I'm doing it so I can go to work for them.

PythagoreanDreamer · 2022-07-01T12:08:11+00:00

What does NMMNG mean?

Title	Reading
Author	Strongearm
Upvotes	14
Comments	8
Date	May 21, 2022 3:03 AM UTC (4 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/RPChristians
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/RPChristians/comments/uue8vk/reading/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/RPChristians/reading.1119152 https://theredarchive.com/post/1119152

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