I believe it was John Ruskin who responded to a questioner about what it means to be a Christian by quoting a simple hymn all children know: “Jesus loves me this I know / for the Bible tells me so / Little ones to Him belong / They are weak but He is strong” $.02, he loves you, but he also feels weak and vulnerable.
I think every honest and truly repentant Christian feels that way. We recognize our human frailty and rely on Jesus to give us strength. In His Word He teaches us not just resist temptation, but to avoid it as best we can, and to run from it when it approaches. As a red-blooded man, I cannot help but to know where every titty bar and dirty bookstore is located. When I travel I plan my routes to avoid these places. It’s not that I feel particularly tempted but I know better than to put myself in a position where I might be.
For the same reason, I try not to watch violent movies about hit men and gangsters. I have no intention to commit crimes, but I do fear that repeated exposure to them could have a corrupting effect and make me more callous and jaded.
Please don’t take this the wrong way or as an accusation of any kind. I’m sure you have nothing but loving to your brother. At the same time, you may want to ask yourself, what is it that I do or say that makes him feel threatened and what can I do to reassure him that I am not a threat?
I think every honest and truly repentant Christian feels that way. We recognize our human frailty and rely on Jesus to give us strength. In His Word He teaches us not just resist temptation, but to avoid it as best we can, and to run from it when it approaches. As a red-blooded man, I cannot help but to know where every titty bar and dirty bookstore is located. When I travel I plan my routes to avoid these places. It’s not that I feel particularly tempted but I know better than to put myself in a position where I might be.
For the same reason, I try not to watch violent movies about hit men and gangsters. I have no intention to commit crimes, but I do fear that repeated exposure to them could have a corrupting effect and make me more callous and jaded.
Please don’t take this the wrong way or as an accusation of any kind. I’m sure you have nothing but loving to your brother. At the same time, you may want to ask yourself, what is it that I do or say that makes him feel threatened and what can I do to reassure him that I am not a threat?
