I am the opposite of my sister in law. Home projects or repairs terrify me. Identifying and problem solving are just too overwhelming, take too much time and effort. Now, people fixing - that is a different story and is something I can get into!
With people, a problem area or character flaw can be quickly identified and often, I have a remedy ready! When situations are shared, my mind can quickly find a solution that would help fix the issue. With a natural bend to help others, 'fixing them' seems like the most helpful thing to do. Except - you truly cannot 'fix' anyone.
Each of us are a magnificent and unique creation, designed divinely by God with traits, talents, gifts and equipped with a purpose. In God's plan of relationships, He ordained a divine flow - love God first and love others next.
Mark 12:30,31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.We love God because He first loved us. He loved us when we had no idea of the depth of His love. He didn't look at us through the lens of improvement - seeing our flaws and the areas that needed fixing. He loved us and knew as we began to love Him, His fullness would make the changes that were needed.
In Ephesians 3 is a beautiful prayer ..."that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
The desire to fix others will always be in my heart. But again, in God's Word, a divine order is found. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus - "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." If we seek to fix our eyes on Jesus, He is the one who can fix, mend, heal and restore us. We will never be perfect this side of heaven, but as we trust Him to make the changes in us, His love fills us and spills out into others. Fixing others or wanting to make changes in their life fades as the light of God's truth shines in our heart. Only God can fix us and fix others, but there is nothing the flow of His love cannot do.
As I thought about the word "fix" for writing today, I remembered a show I saw many years ago when a premature child was born to Christian parents. They announced to their other children that she was perfect. It didn't seem right at first, until I realized they saw her as God saw her. Yes, she would face some health challenges, but she didn't need to be "fixed" in the way that I perceived her. How beautiful to know that for all our flaws, God doesn't want to fix us. He wants to love us and be loved in return.
ReplyDeleteAmie, FMF #25
Only God can fix us and others, so true ❤ visiting from fmf #4
ReplyDeleteWe can't fix anyone. Our job is to pray for them and adjust our attitude if God chooses to handle things in a way that you would not have chosen.
ReplyDeleteStopping by from FMF #43
I have an arcane character
ReplyDeletewith lots and lots of flaws,
a hooligan inheritor
with scant respect for laws,
and this has cause my dear wife grief,
for she's an ordered sort,
and it beggars her belief
that I will merely snort
and go beyond No Trespassing
because the path looks cool,
and will not stand for harrassing
from someself-righteous fool
who thin ks that I am just a knave
to be commanded to behave.
#1 at FMF this week. Or, last week, really.