Why can't we be friends? Hope!

Maybe it's because of where I'm at in life that I ask this question.  Maybe it's because of the political issues and unrest in our country, or maybe it's just because I was raised in a home of all females and I know what it's like to not have peaceful discord.

Maybe I just want to hope that we can just be friends.

I have three sisters, and we can not be more different.  On outward appearance you can easily identify us as sisters, but once you get to know us the differences are glaring.  We each have different styles, our lives have each taken different roads, and our roles in the family are unique.  Some things we come by quite naturally, but others we've worked hard on.  Good and bad that's where we stand.

Our walks with God are completely different also; our beliefs and understanding of the scriptures, our world views and/or our involvement or conformity to it.  But, with all these differences can we be friends?

Can women of faith, any and/or all faiths, be friends?  Is it too much of a utopian idea for women of different cultures, religious beliefs, or ideals to get along?  Is peace and harmony among us a figment of the imagination, no more attainable than the lion and lamb coexisting without the danger of one being prey?
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High...  Luke 6:35
As images of the '60's type of free love come flooding into my mind, you must know that's not what I'm talking about.  Flower power love is not the kind of love that stands the test of time.  Only God's love can overcome differences.

Is one woman's faith better or more righteous than the next woman's?   Have we diminished God and His love to an idea of religion, or is He mightier than a human mind and it's supposed higher intellect?  Are we able to agree to disagree on some issues to let Jesus and His love shine as an example for everyone?

What are your thoughts?  Do you have hope?
Labels:

7 comments:

  1. aseedinspired.comOctober 5, 2011 at 8:24 AM

    gurrrrrl you are speakin my language...

    and I have to say the body needs ALL types ...however it needs active types not the types who have a lot to say and little action...
    if you are a quiet type and gifted in prayer...get praying.
    if you are prophetic .... then prophesy!
    if you believe God is for everyone...get shoveling it out.
    The church will not go down because of bad ideas and people... it will go down as everyone else sits around (comfy cozy) and does nothing to stop them.
    (better get off this soap box now, huh, lol)
    T

    ReplyDelete
  2. noreenOctober 5, 2011 at 10:31 AM

    Hi Lynda, I think we can all be friends if we have a common belief
    in God. He calls us to be together
    to worship Him and if we set
    aside our egos, pride, self-righteousness...etc. I think we can see we have more to gain by being in union with following Christ.

    That being said, it's a challenge because as humans we tend to think "we're right" and many create their own theology based on convenience.

    There is definite hope but it is a struggle.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Blue Cotton MemoryOctober 5, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    I agree with T - it takes all kinds - and Love, Compassion, the desire to Help - channel and translate those differnces into the same outpouring.

    I used to teach a program and in that program I used Legos to show how each spiritual gift was needed for anything to function successfully. Each group had to build a plate and utensil with a bag of Legos. The group with all the gifts succeeded. The success rate dwindled with the number of gifts working in the group.

    God created us diverse - wonderful things can happen in that diversity when we work together!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Quilting Yai YaiOctober 5, 2011 at 4:42 PM

    This is a great post! I will never this hope that we can all be friends, no matter who we are.
    Blessings, Deborah

    ReplyDelete
  5. Marni ArnoldOctober 5, 2011 at 5:20 PM

    I do have hope in friendships...even though I have been so torn apart by other women in the past (some very similar to me, and some extremely different than me).

    Hope isn't an easy step to take...but God never said it did. It is the primary ingredient to faith...the very faith that He calls us to live by in our lives. Faith is not easy in the least, for it challenges all our feelings, emotions - our hurts and challenges with other people. Yet, right where we are challenged...is where God reveals His beauty.

    So though my heart ails in the season I am in concerning some losses as of recent (once again) concerning friendships...I still hold out for hope that God has something amazing in store for me as I continue on down this journey of life He has blessed me to live.

    ReplyDelete
  6. ThandiOctober 7, 2011 at 3:14 AM

    If I looked for friends who had the same beliefs as I did,I'd be friendless.BUT because our likes, passions are so different, that ends up leaving us with not much to talk about.So we end up having a sort of artificial friendship.My only homeschooling friend is overseas for example. For me personally, having a deep relationship is only possible with one friend.And even that is an unequal one because she thinks i'm of a higher class than she is and therefore tends to look up to me even though she's older.Very uncomfortable.Thought-provoking post.

    ReplyDelete
  7. SharonOctober 8, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    We all come from different backgrounds, denominations, cultures, and experiences - but when we are in Christ we are one. Our human nature likes to peek out; however, our hope is in Christ and the unity He gives is so much better! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)