AVOIDING* THE HALL OF MIRRORS
OR ESCAPING
CHAPTER 10
Unsanctified Compassion: The Road to Nowhere (2|2)
Pages 127-132
1 John 4:19-21 (NIV) We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
1 Peter 5:6-11 (NIV) Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
FIRST: Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. SECOND: Love your neighbor as yourself. Have you experienced or witnessed someone either switching the order of these two greatest commandments or ignoring the first altogether? At what point does charity and humanitarianism begin to fall short when they are out of order, or when the first is ignored?
Stef’s question: “Are there currently any relational situations so painful to observe that you find yourself tempted to panic and take control, in a way that reveals a lack of trust in God?”
Stef’s question: “How can you freshly trust God with those you love most? What concrete steps could you take?”
Stef’s question: “The Bible says that we can cast our anxieties on the Lord because He cares for us. Is there a way you could do that today as an act of faith in Christ and defiance to the enemy?”