Needing help loving the strange people in my life...

[derrick09]

Hey guys, This thread has to do with improving my walk with God, and to bring forth for Fruit of the Spirit. I was wanting to ask you all how I can love other people better, well not so much love other people better, but to show them love better. And by that I mean, how can I show them that I'm true and genuine in my love toward them and not be taken as a person that is lying, trying to do harm or just trying to get favors whether it be material, sexual, or other selfish favors.
I ask this not because I"m not willing to love people, I do and I want to be able to show people more, but the thing is, all the people that I'm currently around in my life (or at least away from the computer) are rather flaky, odd, two faced, cold, and distant. I don't know what the deal is whether it's specifically my family and friends, or the people in my town, or state, or if it's people in America or people in general. The people I"m around tend to have short fuses, get angry and offended by the slightest thing, and even when I try to say and do good things to them, they think I have ulterior motives. Even when I try to talk to members of my family or other acquaintances about God and the Bible they think I have a strange and possibly evil agenda, and mind you these people claim to be Christians as well.

They also seem to act almost paranoid at times, is this something you all see with people in your lives? If so, that could be a good indication of how people either in this country or people in general are acting in this day and age. And if that is the case, people how genuinely want to help and show others that they care and love them can easily get hampered by others who think others are out to get them. Are there ways I can show people that I love and care about them without having them go nuts like they do?

Because for me it's getting quite bad, it seems like every time I try to be more caring and social around people, I get handed the cold shoulder and I'm relegated back to the life I've lived for most of my life, that of a loner. It almost feels like the best way I can show the people around me that I love and care is to stay away and do nothing at all, and just "give them their space". Is that a good and Christ-like way to love people? But anyway, let me know what you think would be the best way to handle situations like this. Thanks and GB.

[kmr]

Just show your love as you would show it in accordance with the scripture, and if they get angry just don't mind, let them cool down, and try not to get angry yourself or point out that they're angry.

[derrick09]

Well let's see, would you agree then that leaving them alone (not showing them love and kindness but not being hateful) aka doing nothing is the best way to go we these kind of people? I know it works pretty good from experience, but the only bad thing is one they may get even worse with time, and two, for me it makes for a very lonely life.

[zoegirl]

Well, you need to find some support and encouragement!! Have you found a good supportive group of CHristian friends? A church group? A Christian group outside of church?

It can be frustrating when Christians can be the source of problems. You should have some good solid friends that you can go to for support. Otherwise you will slowly shrivel and get frustrated.

[derrick09]

Well that's one (of many) reasons why I'm here as much as I am. I can't get this kind of quality help with things related to apologetics, theology, philosophy, and GOOD DOCTRINE at one of my local churches. I'm currently still looking for one to attend full time, since in the past I've had a lot of bad experiences at local churches.

One that I attended which was part of a private school that I was attending back in my middle school days was supposed to be non denominational, but it had a blatant bias towards charismatic teachings. Not to mention, he pastor was almost like a cult leader. He would claim that he would get all kinds of dreams, visions, and so on from God and the whole congregation would take his word for it and follow him like a bunch of dumb sheep.

While that was going on, I attended a small Baptist church on Wednesdays and Sundays which was your typical boring, biscuit eating type church which was full of dull, prepared messages and worst of all, they wouldn't let me become more involved with things, but then again I was just a early teenager at the time. Later my family left that church because of a big controversy involving the church's pastor leaving over the fact that the family that owned the church building and property (who had no relation to the pastor) did not want the pastor speaking out against homosexuality because that family had a openly gay daughter who sat in the back of building every week. Stuff like that goes on at a lot of the churches in my area. Like at one of the bigger churches, the pastor had an affair with one of the choir girls and later took that girl to out of town to have an abortion.

All in all, the churches in my area are largely anti intellectual, all about emotion, tradition, legalism, and going through the motions of "playing church". None of them are involved in any sort of apologetics and most of them are not even interested in foreign missions (except only around Christmas time.). So as far as my current state of church going is concerned, I'm really burned out on it, although I'd really be interested in one that would allow you to get more involved and one that discusses apologetics, theology, and good doctrine. But until I find one that does or at the very least, is open to that kind of stuff I guess I'm just stuck with what I have.