God Possible

With Christ, all things are possible. From impossible to Godpossible.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Comments and Blogs…God Still Knows Who You Are

The fungus is among us...my backyard
Once upon a time, before Facebook and Google took away the cloak of anonymity, chatters had some very imaginative screen names.  Essentially, you could comment and live chat with anyone and say whatever you wanted.   After all, no one knew who you were.

Then journals and blogs exploded into Cyberspace, and the rest is history still being written, often anonymously. 

Over the years, under the guise of being anonymous, I have formed two blogs that I, as a Christian, had no business even considering.   One blog in particular, was a parody of some real-life local bloggers who were blogging in revenge against another local blogger.  While mine was funny (to me, anyway) it still did make fun of some very real circumstances and real people.   Thankfully, God dealt with me, and it wasn’t long before I deleted the blog. 

Then there are comments…what we say in comments might be the truth…in our own opinions based on the facts that we know and see…but is it necessary that we say everything we think?    For years, I have used a variation of my name to post comments, very direct, blunt, and sometimes unnecessary comments.  Why?  Well, because sometimes I have an urge to use snarcasm (snarky sarcasm) or to chastise someone I feel has wronged another.  I was in the wrong to do it…and I won’t do it anymore.

Years ago, God had already dealt with me on making comments that, while were not (always) sinful in nature, my attitude was.   There were forums that I liked to visit and discuss current events.   If someone was just ridiculously off base and obnoxious, I had no compunction in handing out remarks made to cut them down to size.   During the midst of my commenting heyday, I had a dream that I was batting nasty words back and forth with an unknown man, and I had made him really mad.  He was so frustrated and he kept trying to hit me.   But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t manage to connect.   I knew (in my dream) that the man already had lots of problems.   When I woke up, I knew in my heart that God was telling me that my words were hurtful to others who often already had issues.  So I quit making them.  For a while.   

 photo spiderweb.jpg
Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains
Last year was a really bad year for me.   No need to detail all the issues, but I let the situation beat me down when I didn’t have to, and for a while, I even stopped going to church.  (Because that’s always the answer, right?)   I also made more unnecessary comments with my alter ego.   Some folks figured it out easily enough, others probably not, but the point is that it’s no better to say things “behind the cloak” than it is to say it behind one’s back, or to be unnecessarily hurtful to one’s face.  People tend to get a little braver when no one knows who they are.   But even if our identity is hidden from the world, God still knows who we are, and exactly where we are.  He expects us to treat others how we, ourselves, want to be treated.   He wasn’t joking about the golden rule.  


It doesn’t matter if someone else isn’t behaving as I think they should, it’s not my job make them see things my way.  My job is to live my life as I know God wants me to live it.  Matthew 12 tells us that we will have to give an answer for the words that we speak, and I will have enough to answer for without adding to it with words I didn’t have to say or type.  


10 comments:

  1. I just can't imagine you making snarky comments :) But you are right, if one can write anonymous, one can be a little more uninhibitve with what they might want to write. Let's hope 2015 is a better year in so many ways than 2014 for you :)

    betty

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    1. ha, Betty...Girl, we'll pretend I don't! I fully expect 2015 to be much better...already is. Thanks!

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  2. Margaret,

    What a brave and honest post. It's a post that, in many ways, I could have written--but haven't had the courage to do so.

    God has been dealing with me in a similar way. Although I'm not usually intentionally snarky (Sometimes, I'm just obliviously snarky.), I have often been harsh in my effort to set things straight.

    Hah. Just now I've had to erase my comment because I was just restating what you have written here! So, with the exception of shooting from multiple blogs, I'll let me describe my own actions/attitudes that God took aim on recently with this: "What you said."

    One thing God did to show me myself was to have me read comments from one particular blogger to other bloggers. I was appalled by her comments--so harsh, so insensitive, so heavy handed--and then I realized, she sounded just like me when I was on my high horse :o I had been deceived about my own comments because I was often trying to be helpful or trying to correct a wrong. You know, when I wasn't trying to be clever. Sigh.

    That "just like me" experience came after God's direct conviction so He had prepared me nicely to be stung. Like David, I realized I was that man.

    So, all of that to say, I feel first-hand compassion for you and have had a lesson God is teaching me under-lined. Thank yo for that.

    I'm so proud of you.

    Deb

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    1. It's another step of changing my focus...and changing the things I can change. Though, I didn't feel brave, I felt silly admitting it! I have to admit...it does feel good (temporarily) to give somebody what-for. Before I got saved, I wasn't even nice when someone made me mad. That trait does not die easily at times.

      I'm glad God is faithful to remind us what He expects of us. Thank you for just understanding what I'm saying.

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  3. Good morning Margaret! I'm Myra ... who discovered your blog via Betty's "Bench." After spending time reading several of your posts and philosophies, I'd like to hang around! :) Of course, it doesn't hurt that you're living in one of my very FAVORITE places in this old USofA!

    While I'm not (presently) in a position to be as candid as I'd like - I'm happy to applaud from the sidelines.

    Wishing you a beautiful day!

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    1. Hi Myra! So glad to have you visit! Is it Alabama you love, or the Deep South in general?

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  4. I certainly can't cast any stones. You often need your anonymity due to your job. That's most of us as well. It's not all bad.

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    1. When I behave badly on purpose...it's "all bad" enough. I'm just happy that God and friends forgive.

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  5. It was a brave & honest of you to admit. Qualities, I most cherish in a friend, Margaret.
    God Bless, Victoria

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    1. Thank you, Vicki... you are always in my corner. Love you for that!

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