My walk with the Lord

Hi

I have an older sister who I was at one time really close with, in fact she is the one who shared with me first about Jesus.(we live far apart now and are not close anymore) Anyway this sister of mine is really the only other Christian in my family and I have come to realize that for a really long time(pretty much my entire adult life) I have kind of been living in her shadows in my walk with the Lord. What I mean by that is this, I know she loves the Lord and I know she has been a christian longer then myself so I often have looked to her or the things she is doing as an answer to what I should be doing.I guess you could say comparing myself to her. I never really questioned her convictions on some Biblical teachings that she holds to. In the past I just always thought that if she believed it to be so then it must be Biblical. There have been times when we have talked and I will actually feel guilty for not always agreeing with her or seeing things as she does. I am not saying she is believing things that are not Biblical just that I tended to view everything through her perspective first and have been at time fearful to say I don't agree with that. For example she believes really strongly that as a woman I should never go any where alone, not even to the grocery store. Truthfully I don't completely agree with that but I feel like I must be wrong for not agree with her. She believes all kinds of networking forums and sites are wrong but I don't agree with her on that either. I have never said anything though I just let her believe that I agree. This is how it has been for me for a long while now but the Lord is showing me its time for me to come out from the shadows and begin to seek Him on my own not via my sister. Does this make sense? I am wondering has anyone else ever dealt with this kind of thing and if so how did you handle future contact and exchanges with the person?

God Bless
maryjane

I'm not sure of the sermon, but Art Katz once talked about how God will places spiritual fathers & mothers in our lives so as to help make us the people God wants us to become. But then he says there always comes a period where God will cause us to become disillusioned with that individual. I believe it exists so that we can truly see that the Lord is our Shepherd. But in being Shepherd, he brings other people into our lives for a time and season, so as to make the difference He needs them to make before somebody else is brought our way.

Deal kindly and gently with your sister. As saints we don't always have to agree with one another, but, when we do have our disagreements, especially with those whom are older than us in the faith, we must express those things in a charitable way.

Thank you KingJimmy

Good wisdom in what you have shared here. I think what I should have conveyed more clearly I know I need to deal with her more honestly and not worry about her reaction to me if I do disagree. Of course I know it must be in love when I speak to any one. I would never say anything to her in a way that was unkind because I do still know that she is leaps and bounds ahead of me just I think I need to be in the Bible and letting the Holy Spirit lead me and not worry about what her thoughts might be all the time. Does this make sense? Or do you think I may be seeing this incorrectly?

I did disagree with her once a long time ago and she told me that she questioned my walk with the Lord if I was not seeing what she was seeing and this really upset me because I thought that I must not be saved if I can not see what she is seeing all the time. Although she did end up being right it what she said and later I did agree with her.

Thank you and if you do remember the Art Katz sermon please share it I would very much like to listen to it.

God Bless
mary jane

MaryJane,

I have met people who get so hung up on doing things a certain way and that way is the only righteous way. Scripture does tells us what, how one should do some things. Anything beyond it is either opinion or a conviction that has been taught by the Holy Spirit. Now how does one tell the difference? therein lies the rub.

So, how do you deal with a person who puts a lot of pressure on you, to agree on non-biblical issues? Ask your husband - he knows your sister...ask him how he thinks you should respond. Husbands are pretty good at that, you know. Males think logically, and females emotionally which gets us into trouble at times.

Hope this helps..

ginnyrose

Wow I actually know what you are talking about to a degree, My brother was my row model growing up. He has always had strong opinions and has also expressed those opinions. My family was complete shattered by some events that happened and God has over the years restored my family to a point. After being shattered my brother as a role model started to take a turn for the worst growing up me being to some extent wise quit following him and starting to use myself as a role model which isn't so wise either because unless challenged by an outside source you generally don't disagree with what you do no matter how wicked it is. I grew up a Pharisee and my brother grew up a heathen(in my eyes). When exposed to the full gospel I was humbled and repented of my high thinking of myself and became a true Christian by God's grace. Now my problem is witnessing to my brother but I still have a fear to do so because I still respect him as a superior of mine since he is my older brother. I understand that you don't have problem with witnessing to your sister but I do understand that common respect for an older sibling

Opinion and Convictions are things that I have come to realize in Christianity, they are a part of why we have so many denominations. If you sister tells you something that you don't actually agree with ask her if she could show you a bible verse to back it up instead of disagreeing right away with her, form your own opinion based off of Your convictions and the Word of God, More or less the Word of God. Something that I have found also when it comes to convictions and opinions its never really safe to assume you are correct in the matter unless of course its clearly shown in the Word.

Also I always consider that attributes of man(kind) We by nature are people of reason, meaning we don't just do something because we feel like it, we have to justify in our minds the actions we take. With that in mind I try to understand the reasoning behind someones logic. I don't have to agree with it but it helps to know where they are coming from. I hope that this helps in some way.

God Bless,
Matthew