Unloving Advice

Often I see people give advice and tell another person that they are on the wrong path in this or that way. It is often that a person criticizes another's career path or direction they are taking, but offer no alternate path.

It is quite disheartening to be told that you are "on the wrong path" career wise or in another way but to not be told what the right path is. A critique with no superior solution is a worthless critique.

To say a solution is poor but to not have any idea of a better solution is at best a waste of breath and in fact more likely unloving. To criticize without giving hope is completely un-Christian in spirit.

We should build up others. If we cannot be building up and offering a better approach than it is best that we say nothing at all.

The church needs to lift its members up. For its members who struggle and seem to lack direction the church needs to be conscious to only provide uplifting support.

It is of no use for the church to tell members struggling with direction that their career path is suspect but offer no assistance. But in many churches today this is exactly what happens. No real help is offered to membership, but rather only judgement.

Action and Prayer

Prayer is a beautiful gift of God to man. God wishes for man to come into his presence to speak to him.

Not all prayer is beautiful. Sometimes prayer becomes an easy excuse in the church.

There is a problem and I will pray about it. My contribution to the problem is prayer.

You see this is often enough but sometimes as we pray we should be open to the fact that we may be part of the solution. Often the solutions to things our outside of us, but we need an openness to act.

Over time you will see there are many people who appear not open to act. They are often very open to pray, however.

Prayer and action need to be linked. Why would we pray for a solution if the solution is within our grasp?

Maybe the solution is not within our grasp but with prayer and thought maybe we can be part of the solution.

You see it is always important to desire to be part of the resolution to issues. If we have an ability to play a part than we should play a part.

Of course we should rest. We cannot minister 24/7 nor should we. Jesus rested and did not always minister.

You see many excuses that I am too tired. I am too mentally tired, or I am spiritually tired.

Sometimes it is true but often especially last two cases of being mentally or spiritually tired charitable work or good deeds of helping others often have an uplifting effect on the human psyche.

Sometimes I will feel in a terrible mood and that helping the world is the last thing I have energy to do. And then I do something to help and feel better.

You see my problem was that in thinking about myself too much I had turned inward and my mind became poisoned by my self-centeredness. When I looked to help the other I felt better because the issue was that I spent too much time thinking of myself.

It is not always the case but there is great joy in helping others. Even if our work involves helping others you see if we are paid we have received a reward for our work.

The reward of pay does not invalidate the goodness of what is done and we should do everything to the glory of God. But there is always something more uplifting about doing good when we receive no monetary incentive.