what hurts me is I've been told I have a caring heart and I've always pushed my problems aside for them and do what I can to support them, I cry with them I pray with them and always listen to them, well the Lord developed a caring heart in me, but this is just one of the problems of that type I'll put up with, but for the Lord I'll always go the extra mile. Well I really got off track with what I said.
Thank You Again,
Brother Robert
[/quote]

No, I don't believe you are off tract at all.  I can so identify with you!  I know what you mean about pushing our own problems aside and ministering to the other.

You are extremely blessed if God has given you a caring heart!  After all, that is they way our Jesus is and He sooo understands.  I don't know if you have ever studied in depth the ways of Jesus of Nazareth as He ministered to people in the Gospels.  He wept, He sighed, He groaned, He grieved and...oh what a caring heart He has; oh what love He has for the hurting!

A caring heart is such a gift from God but with that  gift comes more pain than others experience.  But the potential to be used greatly by God also comes with a caring heart.

Use the hurt to draw you closer to Jesus!  You will know the fellowship of His sufferings (ouch!) but you will also know a deeper joy than most.  You will come to know Him as few do if you flee to Jesus with your hurt.

What I am finally learning, after experiencing many years of what you post of, is not to expect to be comforted from others.  I am learning to go to Him and pour out my heart and hurt to Him...and then I am comforted and then I can pass that comfort, hopefully, on to others.

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

I read one of your posts that you are sensitive.  I am also.  Sometimes I wish I were not so.  But then God reminds me of the potential rewards if I use that sensitivity for His glory in whatever way I am called to serve Him.

Amongst the pain...and called to feel the pain...you are very blessed!

...so sorry for the poor formatting...

Hi, Bigdog!
I've enjoyed reading this thread and all of the wonderful advice.  

Something I, too, learned long ago - I have to go to church to worship the Lord, not to expect others to sincerely interact with me.  No matter how involved one gets, it is ultimately our service to the Lord that matters, not what others do or think about us.

When I had expectations of deep friendship and caring from others, and did not find it, I was very hurt.  I am a sensitive person, a caring person - but sometimes I would like someone to care for me.  I don't think that's selfish, just human.  

Jesus was the most caring, sensitive person ever on the planet, but He was also misunderstood and deserted by His own disciples.  How many persons that He healed ever thanked Him?  How many people really listened to Him without putting their personal agenda on what He said?  He seemed constantly at their beck and call, but no one really knew why He was there.  But He loved us so much that He put up with all this, even to the cross.

The Bible says that in the latter days "the love of many will wax cold."  I really believe we are in these last days.  Numbness, apathy, selfishness, uncaring is the order of the day.  I'm sorry to say, even in our churches.  I don't tar everyone with the same brush, but finding a truly caring saint is difficult.

And, yes, as has been said before, I have found that searching for a lonely, unrecognized person, such as I felt, is the healing of my soul.  I don't want to be ignored, so I will not ignore.
But making myself vulnerable is also asking for hurt.  Sometimes I still hurt.  But remembering the suffering of my Saviour, and His admonition that if He was persecuted, we, too would be persecuted helps me to keep functioning, and forgiving.  We don't have persecution in our congregations so much as we have apathy.  But this was prophysied.  God bless you, Bigdog

Amen, Kensington!

One thing I find very interesting and amazing is that Christ gave all of the 7 churches this same piece of instruction.

Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Oh, and I so agree that this forum is a Godsend.  We can discuss and nurture without fear of rejection.  Families disagree at times, but muture families accept their differences and love each other anyway.  That's what I feel at this forum.   


Thanks to all,

Sylvia49 

ex-cathedra,

Of course we are saved by God's grace, period.

But there is still the separation of the sheep and the goats:  "What you have done unto the least, my bretheren, you have done unto Me."

We help others, and try to be obedient, because of our love for Jesus and what He has done for us.  Not to obtain salvation.

Forgive me, but I don't think emotionalism has much to do with caring, though it can be an aspect of it.  Caring is of the spirit, the heart.  You can usually tell when a person really connects with you, is available, etc., rather than saying in the foyer of the church, "Hi, how are you?" but doesn't really want to know.

You can be too caring, also - though that seems to be rare.  This can cause burn out, and there are people who will take advantage of you.  But, Jesus said to love one another as I have loved you.  And to love your neighbor as yourself.  This also seems to be rare.

We can only be accountable for ourselves, and how we personally treat others.   And always give our problems to the Lord, and lean on him.  People will disappoint us, and we have to accept that.  If we don't, depression will claim us, and we will be good for no one, even ourselves.

but doesnt any one care to be left alone by people anymore.

broken lives,  produces broken people , who break the lives of others

That's why Christ came and he sent his word to heal us   

The trouble is we are to stuffed up to get it

But the Word of God says we shall be known for the love that we shall have for each other

Must be then a supernatural move of God coming that will overshadow us and produce what we couldn't do for ourselves.

Not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord

Then you will see the goats and the sheep    it will come down to who will go to the cross