a simple but profound statement

[Meditate!]

I was talking to a sister today and the we discussed the current WT (this Sunday)

 

We both agreed that it was a shame that some feel unlovable by Jehovah at times because of past mistakes. . She then said a few things that shocked me, initially.

 

She said she doesn't understand why some get down (over this) and then, doesn't find it easy to empathise or know what to do to help ones who feel that way. As i said it was a little shocking at first but then then, with full confidence plainly and profoundly stated:

 

Love is not attached to value!

 

It stopped me in my tracks at first and then she said.. when parents have a baby, they change their whole lives around it to give it what it needs. and what does they baby give back, in practical terms; nothing ..for years! The child may not even appreciate what is done for them till they are in their late teens if ever! And what does Jehovah give us all through our lives? 'Underserved kindness'!

 

She admitted that you can feel awful after doing something wrong but if you are 'truly' sorry, beg for forgiveness and really try hard not to do it again.. 'why on earth would Jehovah NOT forgive you and why should you feel ashamed and worthless for years...?  She said again

 

Love is not attached to value!

 

Wow. I thought.. She gets it! Jehovah is greater than our hearts in what we condemn ourselves. We just have to believe it.

 

I commended our sister and said that whilst she 'thinks' she can't help anyone who feels that way.. she of all people CAN help because she understands Jehovah's undeserved kindness, VERY well!   I had to write her statement down on paper as she said it...

 

Hope this helps someone else.

[BLEmom]

6 minutes ago, Meditate! said:

Love is not attached to value!

This right here. Our entire lives in this system, we live in a value system so it is difficult to get that mindset. Even our human parents can tend to place a value on us. Which child is more spiritual, which seems to be successful at their job, which is more helpful. Then of course the world is horrific.  The age of reality shows. On one hand it’s great to see people with talent but on the other they are competing for who has more value in others eyes.  Social media places a value-who has more followers. Secular work-who does more, who makes more money, who has the better title. Even in the congregation-Jehovah doesn’t but as humans many place more value on those who pioneer, are elders or participate in other spiritual activities.  
We live in a value system. It’s so ingrained.  so many never feel they can measure up even spiritually that they feel like giving up.  “I’ll never get like brother so and so”.  I think it’s going to take that full thousand years to eradicate all of that from our minds. 

[Meditate!]

35 minutes ago, BLEmom said:

This right here. Our entire lives in this system, we live in a value system so it is difficult to get that mindset. Even our human parents can tend to place a value on us. Which child is more spiritual, which seems to be successful at their job, which is more helpful. Then of course the world is horrific.  The age of reality shows. On one hand it’s great to see people with talent but on the other they are competing for who has more value in others eyes.  Social media places a value-who has more followers. Secular work-who does more, who makes more money, who has the better title. Even in the congregation-Jehovah doesn’t but as humans many place more value on those who pioneer, are elders or participate in other spiritual activities.  
We live in a value system. It’s so ingrained.  so many never feel they can measure up even spiritually that they feel like giving up.  “I’ll never get like brother so and so”.  I think it’s going to take that full thousand years to eradicate all of that from our minds. 

Perfect, Dawn. Thanks!

 

I can hear parents, right now, saying.. 'why aren't you like your brother/sister'  .. Employers, teachers do it all the time... But when we take it on ourselves, setting a value or worth, it can be very destructive! The opposite is also true. One WT (sept 2019) stated “Haughtiness is like poison. The effects can be devastating. It is a quality that can render the most gifted human useless (of no value) to God. 

 

The only expression of any value when making a comparison is summed up in Jesus' heavenly name 'Michael' meaning 'Who is like God?'

Edited February 27, 2021 by Meditate!
Forgot something

[Susan Cook]

It’s not so straight forward....

 

somebody could have a hiccup that results in a gong show of a shepherding call, or judicial committee.. combined with all of life’s other stresses that leaves somebody spiralling 

 

can you imagine working through you current trials with what we knew in the early 90s....and the tools available at our disposal at that time compared to now

 

 I understand now more than ever why people are or were confused spiritually, went inactive, had a challenging time ascertaining Jehovah’s thinking on their situation etc etc 

[Thomas Walker]

21 hours ago, Meditate! said:

Love is not attached to value!

Pardon me a moment while I tattoo this to the inside of my eyelids.

[BLEmom]

I liked the reminder this week that “none of us can earn a righteous standing before God”

Again our imperfect thinking puts a value on our actions and conduct. We label ourselves good or bad.  Really we are faulty/broken machines who can only be fixed by the creator.  You can’t expect any machine with broken parts to operate normally. 

[Lance]

I was thinking of a broken gas gauge on an old car that I had. Not matter how much I filled up the tank the gauge always showed empty..

“God is greater than our hearts”

God is greater than our emotional gauge...

 

Our emotions are a kind of gauge  of the heart, an indicator of fullness or in contrast emptiness. When our fickle feelings are working well, then life is full but when depression comes along our feelings are telling us we are empty and of little value..

 

God is greater than our emotional gauges..

His gauge is never fickle because it based on true love. 

 

[Meditate!]

2 hours ago, Lance said:

I was thinking of a broken gas gauge on an old car that I had. Not matter how much I filled up the tank the gauge always showed empty..

“God is greater than our hearts”

God is greater than our emotional gauge...

 

Our emotions are a kind of gauge  of the heart, an indicator of fullness or in contrast emptiness. When our fickle feelings are working well, then life is full but when depression comes along our feelings are telling us we are empty and of little value..

 

God is greater than our emotional gauges..

His gauge is never fickle because it based on true love. 

 

Fabulous illustration!

I'm having that one..

 

😁😁😁

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Reb]

On 2/28/2021 at 11:22 AM, BLEmom said:

Really we are faulty/broken machines who can only be fixed by the creator.  You can’t expect any machine with broken parts to operate normally. 

That is such a simple, but exceptional, statement! Such a good analogy!

[Stormswift]

The other thing relating to love - that has been very profound for me ... is understanding that the world around us does not understand love no matter how much they try - why?

Because Jehovah IS love. Only once we understand what Jehovah has done for us via Jesus do we enter into the jetstream of Jehovah's love - while people willingly or unwillingly choose to stay on the other side of the chasm between mankind and Jehovah ... their 'love' is based on how Satan the greatest narcissist portrays it. So vastly different to the love Jehovah teaches.

 

I know you all knew that way before me - just wanted to catch up with everyone and be on your wavelengths.

 

 

[retroHelen]

On 2/28/2021 at 11:21 AM, Thomas Walker said:

Love is not attached to value!

When I saw this it instantly brought to mind Jesus’ illustration of the workers in the vineyard. (Matthew 20:8-16.) Jesus describes a householder who pays the same amount of money to all his workers, whether they worked the whole day or just one hour. 

 

There are so many ways to view this.

People who come into the truth near the end of the system have the same reward as those who faithfully served for years.

What we get from Jehovah is undeserved kindness - who ever we are, we are all sinners needing Jesus' sacrifice price, we cannot work for that.

We should not compare ourselves with others in God's service - we are unique and He drew us, just do all we can manage, not in comparison to others but to Jehovah out of love. He knows our hearts.

This is what we have to imitate in Jehovah's congregation. Everyone there is drawn by Jehovah, so we should not discriminate by age, experience, culture, background and place value on anyone - that's not our authority or right to do.

 

[Meditate!]

1 hour ago, retroHelen said:

When I saw this it instantly brought to mind Jesus’ illustration of the workers in the vineyard. (Matthew 20:8-16.) Jesus describes a householder who pays the same amount of money to all his workers, whether they worked the whole day or just one hour. 

 

There are so many ways to view this.

People who come into the truth near the end of the system have the same reward as those who faithfully served for years.

What we get from Jehovah is undeserved kindness - who ever we are, we are all sinners needing Jesus' sacrifice price, we cannot work for that.

We should not compare ourselves with others in God's service - we are unique and He drew us, just do all we can manage, not in comparison to others but to Jehovah out of love. He knows our hearts.

This is what we have to imitate in Jehovah's congregation. Everyone there is drawn by Jehovah, so we should not discriminate by age, experience, culture, background and place value on anyone - that's not our authority or right to do.

 

Lovely sentiments Helen!

 

Jehovah's love is far beyond our thinking.. We're shaped so much by Satan's warped mind and hence system that we have to work hard to understand why we.. the 'unlovable' can be tolerated let alone blessed.. Yet I see this time and time again. A broadcast in the past said Jehovah is a generous God.. Boy has this been true in my own case...

 

The blessing I had upon coming back to the Truth after drifting away.. I just could not understand why I got the blessing upon only trying  the first few steps to come back...

 

Lance's illustration set me thinking upon the LOW fuel gauge.. in line with our often faulty thinking.. You could fill up the vehicle's tank and 'pay for' it but still not dare to use the vehicle for a reasonable length/necessary journey because of fear induced by the faulty gauge! How sad Jehovah must feel when he is so willing to forgive and bless the honest hearted.

 

No.. it is not easy for a lot of our dear brothers.

[EccentricM]

On 2/27/2021 at 2:09 PM, Meditate! said:

Love is not attached to value!

Yes exactly... this is also what I refered to when it comes to relationships and romance. This true love, free of "circumstance", but based purely upon the individual. And is why I detest marriage and partnerships based upon opportunism over love of the person's character , ie; "what type of job, car, income, house does he have?" as opposed "what are his interests, humour, demeaner, values, morals and dreams". If worthiness of marriage all rests on one's home and the security one can provide (whilst they do have practical value, and a man should seek those things if he wants to raise a 'family' because it's a matter of ethical responsiblilty and contributing to the whole, more so if having children), then that is attaching love to value in my eyes.

Edited March 4, 2021 by EccentricM

[EccentricM]

On 2/27/2021 at 2:24 PM, BLEmom said:

This right here. Our entire lives in this system, we live in a value system so it is difficult to get that mindset. Even our human parents can tend to place a value on us. Which child is more spiritual, which seems to be successful at their job, which is more helpful.

I honestly don't know why people find it so difficult personally, it's how I've always seen love of people. And it was how I was raised. I never did experience this "value system" within my own family, from anyone! Maybe that's more rare than I thought...

 

 

As I say, I would marry a homeless woman if I loved her enough for who she was, and I would raise her up from the gutter, coddle her, spoil her with endless affection, not because she "earned it" or was some "valuble addition" to my household. I could care less about my wife being "submissive" to me or providing something (like house cleaning or cooking), I'd marry a woman many could consider "useless" (not to be confused with lazy), just because I'd love who she was as a person. I'm not her master, I'm not her employer, I'm the person who loves her the most out of anyone in the universe besides Jehovah, just because she's her.

Edited March 4, 2021 by EccentricM

[Thomas Walker]

9 hours ago, EccentricM said:

As I say, I would marry a homeless woman if I loved her enough for who she was, and I would raise her up from the gutter, coddle her, spoil her with endless affection, not because she "earned it" or was some "valuble addition" to my household.

 

And a lot of people who fell in love would probably say the same, but the 'value system' of the world that BLEmom's talking about? It gets there too. "You've done so much for me, and I don't have any way to pay you back."

 

Worth is a funny thing in the world. We all know there's things money can't buy, and we all know they're important, but in a lot of cases, they're the first things set aside when things get tight.

 

This is the part that we'll have to unlearn in Paradise. Pre-Christian people will struggle with the idea of only one God, others will struggle with the idea of no national barriers... For us, it's going to be things we don't even think about today. Things so constant that it's like the air we breathe.

[Hotteok]

Jehovah, being alone in space itself far in the past.. suddenly an idea pops up in his divine head to create man and woman.

All out of love, as he did not have one reason or duty to create us. 

It all started out of love. 

 

And we will never be able to pay back in the true sense.

The only thing we can give is our heart. Even then, God's love for us will have been superior to ours. 

  

[Amygdala]

Very true sentiments. But that value can be undermined due to external circumstances, and not from one's own feelings. That is the challenge, and that is where this is a good reminder.

 

I once worked with an elderly German brother in cart witnessing. He told me years ago that he couldn't serve as an elder in the congregation so long as he worked on Saturdays. His work schedule was from Tuesday-Saturday. He was told that if he went on welfare, and could support Saturday service arrangements he could keep his privilege. He stepped down. Many years later he's now retired and is regular-auxiliary pioneering, albeit with health problems, and serving as a cheerful ministerial servant. Those initial years must have done a number on his self-worth and value. But as many beautifully expressed here, love is not attached to value. Thankfully he kept close to Jehovah, never went inactive, and I found being around him like a valuable gem and example of endurance and faithfulness.

[Amygdala]

On 2/27/2021 at 3:59 PM, Meditate! said:

I can hear parents, right now, saying.. 'why aren't you like your brother/sister'  .. Employers, teachers do it all the time... But when we take it on ourselves, setting a value or worth, it can be very destructive!

I think this is where a lot of the internal struggle comes from - upbringing. Changing those unhealthy, childhood messages is the challenge. Those who are prone to jealousy and stirring up envy in others were often made to perhaps feel lesser in value to a sibling, peer, and can carry that into adulthood. Sad that some grow up in an environment that love is based on achievement, meaning more value, more love. Of course praise and commendation, encouragement is necessary in childhood, but can often be misapplied and tainted in competition due to human imperfection.