YOU CAN'T FORCE A THING. WELL, YOU CAN TRY, HOWEVER...

 

It's been awhile since I've felt led to write another post, but recently something happened to me that gave me pause.  I'm sure we have all had the experience at one time or another of being forced to do something.  How did it make you feel? Did it make you respect the one forcing you?  Did it make you want to do the thing even more?  Or, did it cause feelings of distress, anxiety, anger, perhaps even a little bit of fear?  I don't know about you, but in my case I've felt all of those things.  This event invaded my safe place in my life which made it feel even worse...I felt I had no where to go but away from the situation or to bed to sleep away the anxiety.  I'm not talking about insidious types of forcing of a sexual nature, that has it's own evil and not for this day.  I'm talking instead of those things we are forced to do from guilt or from the other person's sense of what should be done.  At the very least it makes one feel uncomfortable.  It has caused me to feel that way at my very core.  No one should ever do that to another.  Jesus' message for us is about free will.  He never forced anyone to come to Him, EVEN THOUGH IT IS GOOD FOR US AND WILL SAVE US.  Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directs his steps", Mark 8: 34 "And when He had called the people [unto Him] with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.".  Jesus knocks, God says whomever will come to me...there is no forcing there! Our Father realized the value and rightness of choosing and coming freely. He loved us enough to not force us to Him.  This is a good example for all of us.

Forcing something on another person; trying to MAKE them do something is destructive at it's core.  It doesn't allow the other person to be who they are, and doesn't give an opportunity for respect of another's wishes, belief systems and feelings.  You've heard that old saying..."you will catch more flies with honey than vinegar.".  Tis true.  IF something is important enough, consider using kindness and understanding if you want someone to do something for you.  IF they feel free in the choice, they may CHOOSE to do the thing instead of being forced.  HOWEVER, if they do not choose it, do not resort to bullying, or treating them badly because they didn't choose your way of thinking. Would YOU want to be forced to do something that made you feel uncomfortable?  Of course not...treat others as you would want to be treated and you have a much better chance of being respected and appreciated.

Our God, who made us, knows us, and loves us in spite of ourselves even gave us the promise that He would not let you be tempted beyond what you could handle.  This is a great gift and promise!  That means He gives us a way of escape from the thing that would hurt us.  That is just how much He loves us and gives us free will to choose despite what He wants us to do.  I Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."  If GOD knew some things would be more than you could bear, and God loved you enough to give you a GODLY way out, then how can we ignore that message for our own lives and try to force anyone to do something that may be more than they can bear at a given time in life?

This simple message is important for us to reflect on.  BY THE WAY...This does NOT refer to our commandments from our Lord.  He gave us guidelines and outright commands that, IF we come to Him he wants us to do.  To NOT do them would be sin.  If we commit to God, or under God then we have those good commandments if we want to be with Him. 

Try the kinder, gentler approach if you want something.  See just how much further you will get with another human if you respect them and their feelings in spite of differing abilities than yours!

GOD BLESS!