“You have to put yourself behind yourself in a relationship.”
I love my church. I cannot believe I have come to admit this, but Tabernacle Baptist Church is an amazing church home.
On Sunday, my pastor spoke about the true meaning of two of the beatitudes regarding mercy and a pure heart from Matthew’s recollection of the Sermon on the Mount (but it might have been a sermon on a plain as stated in Luke).
He emphasized that in order to obtain God’s mercy, we must be merciful to our fellow man. He stressed forgiveness and the offering of help and love when neither is deserved. Meredith explained that God shows us mercy when we have done things to warrant his wrath. God shows us grace by allowing us the lives we don’t deserve.
Next, Meredith emphasized the meaning of a pure heart, which is needed to see God. He spoke on the things that dirty and sullen our heart- the most detrimental being ego.
Yipes.
Meredith said ego holds us back and makes us self-seeking and self serving in our relationships. He said ego makes us give and expect something in return. He said ego makes us please our partners only so we can be pleased in return.
He then said in order for us to truly have a pure heart, we must act out of love and not ego. He said we must learn to put ourselves last and our lovers first, neither expecting nor hoping for reciprocity.
It seems like Meredith had just the word I needed to hear. I came home and made Sunday dinner for my man.
8 comments:
Amen to that!
Well now - look at that. You finally cooked for the boy. Did you make that smothered chicken? You probably didn't...details, details, details.
I dig this. It rings true with some personal issues I've been dealing with regarding my selfishness and neediness in my relationships across the board, not just in romance.
LOL @ darius... I made lasagna and collard greens and corn on the cob...
Smiling. I am just SMILING!
Words to take to heart.
Well alright! It seems that your soul has been fed and you are applying it! Can't ask for much more than that!
I LOVE to READ Posts of this Nature. Man Ol Man...
IF More Brothas would BEGIN to ACCEPT and UNDERSTAND that Life is NOT about DOING and GIVING, Strictly to GET in return, I would NOT have spent the past 3 Years, SINGLE.
It is so IMPORTANT that Individuals BEGIN entering these relationships, with the Mind Frame that I Shall Do for My Man/Woman because it Makes Me FEEL GOOD and HAPPY to Know that He/She is HAPPY and FEELING GOOD.
It has been a YEAR since a Dude Cooked for Me....a YEAR!...Dammit.
LMAO~...Look at My Ego Showing Off.
You know what you had me Cory right up until you said that wee have to put ourselves first, if that isn't the biggest bag bull, I have ever heard, I don't know what is!
As the great philosopher Whitney Houston-Brown said, Hell to the Naw!
I strongly, without a shadow in my soul, do not believe that putting yourself last, is the answer to anything. Do you know what putting yourself last gets you, being last and being used and run over.
I believe that you should drop egos, and give from your heart, with love, and with no expectations of something in return, but I strongly believe you have to put yourself first.
I think it goes on the lines of charity begins at home. Take yourself as home, if you are constantly giving and investing your love, heart, time, money, anything into others without first investing those same things into yourself first, how can you truly make a difference in the long run. You will go down faster. I believe you need to put yourself first. Not in the case of being selfish, greedy, or arrogant, but in acknowledging what your needs are first, before acknowledging someone else's.
If you continue to put yourself last, others, will take from your lead and continue to but you last, plain and simple.
It's balancing act, but it can be possible to love others and love yourself, without being selfish.
The only thing you need to put yourself last to, is God's will!
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