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MaryJane Member
Joined: 2006/7/31 Posts: 3057
| THE LONELINESS OF THE CHRISTIAN | | THE LONELINESS OF THE CHRISTIAN (In locales where there is no Lampstand)
By A.W. Tozer et al
The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world. His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because, where there is no legitimate daily church, there are so few who share his inner experiences, and he is forced in this season to walk alone.
The man who lives in His divine Presence in his workaday world, and lives in actual inner experience, will not find many in the general religious world who understand him. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being uninteresting and over-serious, so he is avoided, and the gulf between him and society widens. He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.
It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. His inability to find human companionship where there is not yet true church (Eph.5:27; Mat.16:18) drives him to seek in God what he can find nowhere else.
This really spoke to my heart so much, just thought I would share it with you brothers and sisters here.
God Bless Mary Jane |
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2007/7/30 1:53 | Profile |
theopenlife Member
Joined: 2007/1/30 Posts: 926
| Re: THE LONELINESS OF THE CHRISTIAN | | Thanks so much. Here's the development of my heart. |
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2007/7/30 2:09 | Profile |
Yeshuasboy Member
Joined: 2006/6/10 Posts: 668 Northern Rockies, BC, Canada
| Re: THE LONELINESS OF THE CHRISTIAN | | Thankyou very much for these reminders.
God bless you and your family, richie _________________ Richie
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2007/7/30 3:23 | Profile |
| Re: THE LONELINESS OF THE CHRISTIAN | | YES!
Thank you
Jeannette |
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2007/7/30 18:10 | |
| Re: THE LONELINESS OF THE CHRISTIAN | | Quote:
It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. His inability to find human companionship where there is not yet true church (Eph.5:27; Mat.16:18) drives him to seek in God what he can find nowhere else.
Thanks for sharing this MaryJane, this spoke right to me. God Bless! |
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2007/7/30 19:22 | |
| Re: | | The loneliness of a christian, or the isolation of a christian? |
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2007/7/31 12:14 | |
MSeaman Member
Joined: 2005/4/19 Posts: 772 Michigan
| Re: | | Quote:
chiefosiners wrote: The loneliness of a christian, or the isolation of a christian?
what are you asking? *confused* _________________ Melissa
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2007/7/31 12:53 | Profile |
| Re: | | Quote:
MSeaman wrote:
Quote:
chiefosiners wrote: The loneliness of a christian, or the isolation of a christian?
what are you asking? *confused*
I'm sorry let me clarify. Is it loneliness due to isolating ones self from others, even family? I'm only asking because I've used the excuse of loneliness when all along it was my own fault. Sometimes in our walk we think by secluding ourselves we somehow are gaining holiness when in fact it can be a trap of the devil to take us out of the picture. Speaking from experience. |
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2007/8/1 21:37 | |
LoveHim Member
Joined: 2007/6/14 Posts: 562 Indiana, US
| Re: | | Quote:
I'm sorry let me clarify. Is it loneliness due to isolating ones self from others, even family? I'm only asking because I've used the excuse of loneliness when all along it was my own fault. Sometimes in our walk we think by secluding ourselves we somehow are gaining holiness when in fact it can be a trap of the devil to take us out of the picture. Speaking from experience.
i think that sometimes that might be the case, but sometimes it seems like maybe friends no longer want to hang out because you're gonna bring up that guy "Jesus" or want to "get deep in the word". then it seems like even though they are believers in Christ, you and your friends are going for different things. am i making any sense?? i guess i'm not all for just hanging out and having fun if having fun means that we can't talk about how awesome God is or what God has done lately in our lives because it "ruins" the mood of the party. sorry for the longer answer, but i think that sometimes the Lord just gets us alone that He can teach us and mold us into what He desires. |
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2007/8/1 23:41 | Profile |
BrokenMan Member
Joined: 2007/8/2 Posts: 4
| Re: | | To truly follow "hard after God" (per Tozer), it is a very lonely experience. To only want to talk of Him...while others. especially in the Church, want to talk about anything but Him- this is a difficult and lonely walk. However, as those know who have been broken (in will, not in spirit) know so well, He truly comes along side us in our loneliness and makes it all well again. And frankly, even if He did not, I would still follow hard after Him, each moment of each day... 2007/8/2 0:30
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2007/8/2 0:36 | Profile |