With apologies to John Cusack & the re-PRESSED scene from "The Sure Thing..."
I've been pondering this for the last couple of days -
Proverbs 11:25b ...those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
It's counter-intuitive... it's taking our eyes & focus off our our own needs in the desire to be a blessing & a help to others... & then while doing that, receiving the very thing that we'd been needing to receive in the first place.
My pondering has led me to try to think of ways to practically live out what it means to be a "refresher of others" - that thought process starts by 1st examining the 'opposite' of being a refresher - a life-sucker, a weight, a burden. What's that look like?
To me, the opposite of 'refresher' means being selfish... Self-focused. Insisting on getting my own way. Getting my own needs met. Using others to do so. Complaining. Being contentious. Antagonizing. Nit-picking.
Refreshing means sharing. Paying attention to others & what they're experiencing. Being willing to listen. Gentleness. Kindness. Self-control.
And in that, God takes it on Himself to be a refresher... and who does He refresh?
Isaiah 57:15b I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts.
The humble & repentant. The one who is in need of refreshing, & looks to God to do it.
Amen. & Right on.
Posts
5 launchings into the blogosphere....:
A thought occurring to me is putting the two together and God refresher others through us . . .
Ah, Teem. Nicely stated. And we must cooperate.
I think you meant to say, "Don't drink other people's milkshakes. Add to other people's milkshakes."
I'm sure that is what you meant to say, friendo.
hmmmm.... i've been "refreshing" people all week... physically and emotionally. i have to say i am pretty darn beat, and still waiting to be refreshed... maybe it will come on my day off:)
This kind of comes side by side to something that I was reading last night. It said that if we are feeling neglected in our relationships with people then we should look first at our relationship with God. Often times when we feel neglected by others it is because we have been neglecting our relationship with God. Interesting timing these things have....
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