Quote:
Originally Posted by formermember
Do others here have the same perspective? What does it mean to bear the cross, in a way that doesn't permit these kinds of abuses?
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formermember,
The problem, I think, is perspective. Bearing the cross means being willing to suffer and die for the Lord. It means having an attitude of sacrifice for the Lord's sake. The common term these days is "dying to self." It means being willing to put oneself and one's comfort and safety aside for the sake of the Kingdom.
But it is not an end in itself. It is to a purpose. In other words, it is relative to the situation. The LC, tending to be about spirituality, made it both an end in itself and an absolute. To them, dying to self was a state to be achieved because, well, that's what spiritual people did. But dying to self is actually for the sake of others. It's relative to the situation.
I can take my wife out on a fun date, enjoy good food and drink and some entertainment and still be a good Christian. Why? Because enjoying happy times with your wife is part of a healthy relationship. People who have no fun are not healthy and are to be pitied.
However, if there are needs in the community and church and I spend all my time partying, then I'm not dying to self, I'm indulging myself needlessly.
So how we apply "bearing the cross" is relative to everything else. It's not an end in itself. If you make it an end in itself then you just end up thinking you need to be beat up all the time. That's not healthy nor is it life abundant.