Seminar speakers condense life into neat, tidy Facebook memes, but actually living life takes a few more words. Iglesia Colombiana, original oil painting by Steve Henderson, sold.
Tough love.
It’s an oxymoronic — or maybe just moronic — psychological phrase that has crept its way into Christian thought. We’ve been told it’s the solution to codependent relationships, another psychophrase bandied about more frequently than words like grace, mercy, charity, patience, or perseverance, and Christians instruct one another that when people make bad choices, well, they’ve got to live with them, and it’s part of our tough love stance to make them see the light.
(I’m not sure what that light is, in this particular case, but I’d guess it has little to do with the True Light of the World.)
Recently, I found a meme wandering through my Facebook account, from new age guru Greg Braden:
“Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It’s not your parents, past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice that you make. Period.”
Gosh this sounds tough and cool and hip and witty and wise, and to a certain extent, it expresses truth:
Read the rest of this blog at Are We Stuck with Our Bad Choices Forever?
For those of you who wonder, why doesn’t she print the whole article right here? I can’t — the whole article is the province of BeliefNet, but I provide a teaser and a link to encourage you to find me, get back at me, and think about the Christianity you profess.
It’s worth walking the narrow, difficult path that Christ talks about — but it’s certainly not easy!
This article is linked to Women of Worship, Moms the Word, Life of Faith, Monday Musings, Nourishing Joy, A Mama’s Story, Babies and Beyond, Inspire Me Monday, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Mummy Monday, Pin It Monday Hop, The Chicken Chick, Treasure Box Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Share Your Stuff Tuesdays, Abiding Woman, Turn It up Tuesdays, A Little R and R, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Wholehearted Wednesdays, We Are That Family, Mom’s Library, Adorned from Above, We Like to Learn, My Disorganized Life, Capture Your Journey, A Wise Woman, Graced Simplicity, Serving Joyfully, Marriage Motherhood and Missions, I choose Joy, Hope in Every Season, Jenny Mullinix, The Deliberate Mom, Katherine’s Corner
This Woman Writes by Carolyn Henderson 
Heading over! I think the advice is spot on. I don’t think you have to live with your bad decisions forever, but once you know that consequences are based on your choices, then you also have the power to make different decisions. Thanks for linking up with Turn it Up Tuesday!
Thank you, April. One has to have hope to keep going, and if people tell you you’re stuck with all your mistakes, well, that isn’t very hopeful. Thank you for reading the whole article!
I love that. Accountability. I am responsible for my actions, my choices, everything. That is kind of empowering as well as a reality check.
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
Part A is yes, I am responsible for my choices. Part B is better — God helps me live with my bad choices, and supersede them.
A without B leads to despair — and it is the foundation for many “self-help” seminars that bring money in the for the speakers, but no comfort to the listeners.
The beauty of true Christianity == the kind we find when we one on one look to Christ to guide us — is that it doesn’t bring in massive amounts of money to a speaker. True Christianity, and the gift of Christ’s salvation in our lives, is free.
I wish more people would begin to realize that . . .
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A very thought-provoking post. I wrote more of a comment on your link. Thanks for sharing and for linking up to the SHINE Blog Hop.
Wishing you a blessed day.
xoxo