Women Professing Godliness

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Kindred Spirits or True God Honoring Friendships

Posted in Kindred Spirits or True God Honoring Friends
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and soberiety, not with broided hair , or gold , or pearls, or costly array;But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.I Timothy 2:9-10

I have thought alot about this subject lately, probably for the last 6 years, since being online and
getting to know many women on yahoo groups and on homestead blogger or homeschool blogger. And I wanted to come share those thoughts and some conclusions.

For many women being online is several things...
1. An outlet for daily stress, ie. a time to relax.
2. A place to try to make friends with likeminded women.
3. A place to sell our wares, ie. homemade clothing, soap, or some product we like.
4. A Place to read encouraging articles on womanhood, homemaking, Child Training and Some "godly" subject that pertains to our lives...
5. To reach the world for Christ in some small way from our homes.
6. Online is your Home Based Business.

Well for you they may be in another order of importance or some might not even apply to you in this list. But for all too many the above is your reason for being here. That is not to say that any or all of those reasons are wrong, for some it is the right thing to do. But we are here to day to discuss "Kindred Spirits and True Friendships".

What is a Kindred Spirit... If you watch Anne of Green Gables, it would seem that Anne and her Boosum Pal are likeminded in all things, but in reality they are different but are wonderful friends, although they do get into alot of mischief together... Anne was a person who needed friends and surely thought she needed a boosum pal in life.

You know it is funny I don't really see the same thought on "Little House" or " Waltons"
and in those shows or stories " Family is your best friend " Family comes first and the children learn to respect their parents... A discussion for another day....

So what is a Kindred Spirit.... Spirit says to me it is an inner or spiritual contection to one another. Kindred speaks to me of being family...Kin.   I do not want to get into dictionary definitions and here is my reasoning.... Because somehow mans definition just doesn't cut it...
All the hurts and words I see used online to describe what should naturally be there between Brothers and Sisters in Christ, just plain isn't there. I have seen the above words " Kindred Spirit" used toward other women or even myself and the air of friendship or fellowship exstended until one doesn't meet up to that other persons ideals for what they want in a friend.
Its has been sad to watch this done, not only to me but to other women, who sincerely saught to have a true friendship. Ideals: ie. Country Living, Gardening, Dresses Only, Headcovering, SAHM, Quiverful, Secure Families, Healthy individuals, Sane, Plain, Contemporary...oh there are more words to describe all those things your looking for in a " Kindred".... But did you know that no one should be placeing friendships on Outward appearances ?

The Bible says for a man to have friends, he must show himself friendly

( Pro 18:24 A man376 that hath friends7453 must show himself friendly:7489 and there is3426 a friend157 that sticketh closer1695 than a brother.4480, 251) strongs numbers for your studying included

.... friendly, hmmm like kind, caring, interested in the others thoughts ( doesnt mean they have to become like them mind ya) Friendly.....

All to often we see words to describe our character or likes and say Wow, that has to be my "Kindred Spirit"... finally Lord you have sent someone I can really be true friends with...
After 8 years of being online, I have to sorta chuckle. When I try attending what I call institutionalized Churches the same thing is seen. Women only being friends with certain women. I hear the same thing from my daughter in AL who attends a church there that is clicky. I see the same thing in my mothers church. I am telling you this should not be so...

We want to claim we love one another as the Lord commands us to do, but are we really basing our friendships and true family on what the Lord says is suppose to be those things to us. To me true family are those who are saved ( born again), bible believing, walking in holiness christians. I don't care what your denomination is.... Look Sally is Plain, Sarah is a Plain Christian, Joy is Amish, Hannah is Mennonite, Kate is Congregational, Annette is Catholic, so on and so on.... There is a Label for every known Denomination and several different beliefs within one ...Oh and even those who are Non-Denominational... I don't care about that stuff at all and I seriously do not think the Lord does either.

The Bible says that the Lord looks on the heart.
(1Sa 16:7 But the LORD3068 said559 unto413 Samuel,8050 Look5027 not408 on413 his countenance,4758 or on413 the height1364 of his stature;6967 because3588 I have refused3988 him: for3588 the LORD seeth not3808 as834 man120 seeth;7200 for3588 man120 looketh7200 on the outward appearance,5869 but the LORD3068 looketh7200 on the heart.3824 )
What is in the heart , the seat of our emotions and feelings, is what matters most. What we truely believe is what matters. I could ask any one of my sisters , Do you believe that Jesus died to save you from your sins ? and do you know what their answer is.... A resounding YES.....   Do we each have differing doctrines taught to us...You betcha...   God looks to see if you know and accept his gift of salvation through his son Jesus death on the cross for payment of your sins.... that is what he wants to know...
And if you are SAVED, ie. Born Again...then he says Be ye HOLY , for I your GOD am HOLY....
(Lev 11:45 For3588 I589 am the LORD3068 that bringeth you up5927, (853) out of the land4480, 776 of Egypt,4714 to be1961 your God:430 ye shall therefore be1961 holy,6918 for3588 I589 am holy.6918 )

Sister, Brother, walk in holiness....Whatever happened to being holy anyways...it is
a heart matter , did you ever think on that A HEART MATTER... between you and the God you claim to love. Then put it into action.... For God so loved (he gave) His only begotten Son. (John 3:16)
now we all know it says more then that, but the point is He Did Something... He didnt wait for someone else to make the first move, he just did it... Love prompted him to do it. That was his reason, his motivation and He himself... God is Love!!!!

I want to tell you all something... I may be a Christian, Homesteading, Home business, Home Birthing, Home Churching, Home Schooling , (Minded),Dresses only, Headcovering, Goat Raising, Countrygirl " countryfille", who loves to read Amish/Mennonite Prarie stories, who loves to sew, quilt, crochet, bake , garden , can and cook, draw, paint, wouldnt live anywhere but in the country woman.... I collect tins, crocks, baskets, candles, rose themed stuff , Be of the mindset that women are to be real women and feminine too mind ya... I am old fashioned to the hilt though I love some things modern...
All This Might Make you say...Oh Lord, Linda is my kind of friend.... Praise the Lord we can find like things incommon, but do I want you to base your friendship with me on those things....
NO, NO WAY!!!!
They are all superficial, outward things... I want you to base your friendship with me on the fact that we love the Lord and are saved by his grace and Jesus blood shed for our sins. That is eternal, spiritual, will not end kind of stuff...
Tomorrow the Lord may not allow me to cover or wear dresses only, cause my husband might say NO...will you forsake me over that ?
The Lord might not allow me to continue Homeschooling a child of mine, Will you forsake me over that ?
My husband might not have a home business, will you forsake me over this ?
The Lord might not Allow us to have Homebirths.... or Homechurch....Will you forsake me ?
You might learn my DH has mental illness and I have issues in my life and trials I have to walk through that you don't...Will you forsake me or will you be my true Spiritual Christian Sister....
You might learn that my older children are rebellious and not walking in the ways of the Lord or are unsaved... Will you stick by me in this also with good sound godly advise or will you leave...
Have you walked in my shoes ? Have I walked in yours ?
Hmmmmm... Food for thought huh ?
I believe it says in the bible that " With what measure ye meet, so shall you also be judged " One must be very careful as to how they judge others... All things must be compared to God's Holy Word and we must not compare ourselves to ourselves or to others, the Bible says in doing so we become unwise...
(2Co 10:12 For1063 we dare5111 not3756 make ourselves of the number,1469, 1438 or2228 compare4793 ourselves1438 with some5100 that commend4921 themselves:1438 but235 they846 measuring3354 themselves1438 by1722 themseves,1438 and2532 comparing4793 themselves1438 among themselves,1438 are not wise.4920, 3756 )
We might not agree on all things that our churches teach doctrinally, but we are non the less , saved, born again, bible believing Brothers and Sisters.... I believe that we need to accept all those who are saved by grace and believe it is only by the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we are saved ...As our flesh and blood Sisters and Brothers in the Lord and therefore love them with a full and lasting love. I also believe that forgiveness is essential... The Bible says that " As we forgive others, so shall you also be forgiven "
(Mat 6:14 For1063 if1437 ye forgive863 men444 their846 trespasses,3900 your5216 heavenly3770 Father3962 will also2532 forgive863 you:5213 )
(Mat 6:15 But1161 if1437 ye forgive863 not3361 men444 their846 trespasses,3900 neither3761 will your5216 Father3962 forgive863 your5216 trespasses.3900 )
Sheds a new light on being angry and unforgiving doesn't it......

We all need friends... I've found a friend, Oh such a friend, with love He drew me to Him, He drew me with the Cords of Love and thus He brought me to Him...

I have found a friend in Jesus, he's everything to me, he's the fairest of 10,000 to my soul....

NO ONE, and I repeat NO ONE here on earth can be your KINDRED SPIRIT.... no one can even be close to that , unless they can rise above the outward supperficial , icing on the cake , sugar coated bologna and look upon your heart.... We must strive to be Christ like in how we live, love and deal with others in our lives or online.

If you see a sister dealing with alot and your life is so busy and hurried that you cannot deal with it... I suggest you pray on it and not forsake her....
If you see a brother working away from home to provide for his precious family, I suggest you help his wife out with a meal or a cup of tea, a time of friendship and not be judgemental.
If you see a wife who struggles with family who is mentally ill and you cannot understand it...think on what the bible says about those who are feeble minded, they are still part of the body of Christ, even if mentally ill and still professing Christ as Lord. ( I can guarentee firsthand that we go through alot of things in dealing with a husband or child who is mentally ill that you cannot know of or understand )
If you see a sister with a disabled child, no matter how severly, offer her some form of help and friendship and encouragement...

Sure the movement of " Christians" is to bring Daddy Home to work, Homeschool our Children, Homebirth , Home Church, Live Simply..... but it is not possible for all of us to get to that point at the same time. Just like it is not for all us womenfolk to be in the same place at the same time... I don't care if it is Homeschooling Dresses Only, Headcovering, Quiverful....We don't all get there at the same time...and who on earth said that was the goal..... God calls each of us to a different calling even if we are all Stay at Home moms...you will deal with issues I do not and I will deal with things you will not.
Who said it was the goal ? I want to know....Did God say that was the Goal.... ? NOPE

He said " Be ye not conformed to the ways of this world , but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds..."
(Rom 12:2 And2532 be not3361 conformed4964 to this5129 world:165 but235 be ye transformed3339 by the3588 renewing342 of your5216 mind,3563 that ye5209 may prove1381 what5101 is that good,18 and2532 acceptable,2101 and2532 perfect,5046 will2307 of God.2316 )

YOUR MINDS.... not your clothing, not your hair style, not how to school your children... your mind.

He said " By Love Serve One Another " .....
(Gal 5:13 For,1063 brethren,80 ye5210 have been called2564 unto1909 liberty;1657 only3440 use not3361 liberty1657 for1519 an occasion874 to the3588 flesh,4561 but235 by1223 love26 serve1398 one another.240 )
Love causing us to serve eachother in the Lord, imagine that.... Love thy Neighbour as thyself....
(Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not3808 avenge,5358 nor3808 bear any grudge5201 against (853) the children1121 of thy people,5971 but thou shalt love157 thy neighbor7453 as thyself:3644 I589 am the LORD.3068 )
(Mat 19:19 Honor5091 thy4675 father3962 and2532 thy mother: and,3384 Thou shalt love25 thy4675 neighbor4139 as5613 thyself.4572 )
Imagine that.... Hey do you know your neighbour ?   Muchless do you love your Sister in the Lord so much you can see past the outward appearances to see her heart and her heartache ? Do you care for her life, her family so much that you love her through it come what may ?   Or have you dumped her from your life, your list or your cares...

LOVE is something that most of the family of God unfortunately has no clue how to show or how to deal with...
Sadly, how many of our Sisters are going to be hurt, made to cry, feel a loss ? How many of us will grieve over a "kindred spirit" who once was our boosum friend, but is now shunned us do to whatever her reason is....

Sadly, I am not talking about myself or my hurts here... I am talking about others lives that need mending, that need forgiveness, that need truely to be loved by those calling themselves the Lord's and yet cannot see fit to show the Love of the Lord toward those who are truely saved. And how often do we forgive ? What do we do after we forgive ? (If I forgive my child, I go on and live with them and teach them... If I forgive my Sister I stand by her, be her friend and forget the the past... I am so thankful that the Lord God forgives us and forgets things . As far as the east is from the west...

"You ask me why I'm happy and I'll just tell you why because my sins are gone, there undereath the blood on the cross of calvary, as far as far from darkness is from dawn"

Did you ever as children learn these songs I quoted, learn the verses spoken of , I am so thankful that my Mother and Dad raised me in the Word and that I was saved at a young age and taught forgiveness and true godly love for others... So thankful that I have a mother who doesn't just read her bible early in the morning, she was seen sitting reading her bible during the daytime when we were doing things arround the house. She spoke to us of God's Word and helped us apply it to our lives. She taught sunday school and worked at the Christian School when my Dad was laid off so we could go to school there and not in a public school through out our grade school and middle school years. I was grounded in the Word so that when I did go to Public High School I knew right from wrong and was able to withstand temptation, matter of fact things that others had temptation in and doing , I didnt even seem to see or notice.
Raising our children in the Word is vital and needed today. Forgiveness, True Friendships and Christian Family are needed also. Keep in mind that even if God is showing you that your to follow something that your convicted about that Another Sister may not be at the same point as you, she may not ever be called to be convicted of the same things you are...That doesn't mean she is any less of a christian , this means that ( If and until the Lord shows her and her husband that this is what the Word of the Lord teaches and the Lord convicts them of this area...You dear Sister need to speak once or not at all and pray much for them. Do not manipulate, interfere and cause troubles in a marriage that is a godly ,secure , instituted by God relationship. Even if the wife is feeling convicted to follow her convictions, you need to tell her to wait and to follow the leading of her husband, so much as it is not against what the Lord says and pray with her until the day comes that she is allowed to follow her convictions and be obedient to her husband)
" A woman who wears a covering without the consent of her husband, thinking that God somehow will hear her prayers and bless her for obeying the Word when she is not in obedience to her own husband, is not in obedience at all " The Headcovering is all about being in submission to authority, to your Father, your husband or to God if you have neither and no other authority above you...
And if a husband and wife are convicted that this is to be followed in their home... No one should be interfering in what the Lord is instructing them in....not a pastor, friend or another woman especially... Women are to be obedient to their own husbands, not any other man , woman , even if you are a pastor of a church...
( This article isn't even about Covering, but I can tell you that following ordinances is one area where Sisters are being judged on an outward appearance of something that is an is a heart issue. Who's ordinances are they anyways... If one wears a cape dress and another wears a totally modest dress with no cape , who's ordinance is this anyways.... The Lord said "Women are to be clothed in Modest Apparel" Who dictates modest.... I believe the bible does, but I also think that a woman must try hard to remain as becoming to her own husband as she can and remain modest. She need not be wearing clothing that is baggy and unbecoming to be modest.

I wish you could all see the real need here....in life.

Praying for so many who are hurting...
Linda

This kind of behavior thank the Lord has never been on my list on Yahoo The Country Homemaker's Journal, nor would it ever be allowed to... There you will find real Sisters, with real needs, really praying, caring and compassionate. We do have fun things we will do, Write real letters, be real friends, swap fabric, make real quilts with that fabric and Ya, some are living in the country, some long for the country and some even raise goats...but there we all Love the Lord, Love our Sisters and Share what is real and important in our lives. And prayer requests are always welcome.
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Saturday, October 11, 2008

Kindred Spirits or True God Honoring Friendships

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