He's carrying me....

Listening to Itunes radio and a song I have not heard in a long time has just come on. He Carries the weight of the world upon His shoulders. Wow! And He carries me! Do we honestly even grasp that? Do we truly understand all that means? We aren't alone, we don't hold the weight of the world on our shoulder, Jesus will hold it all for us? But today all I've been driven to think about is are we helping others carry their burden? Or are we loading them with even a more heavy one? 

Ive recently been really struggling with how people respond to others, how we treat each other, how are words and actions come across and how absolutely absent minded we are. Do we simply not care? Or do we care more about gossip, our own opinions, judging and coming to our own conclusions then actually loving and caring about people? I love people. My heart aches for those that are aching and I can't stand not being able to fix it! But more then that my heart aches for those who simply don't get it! My heart breaks for believers who are doing more damage then good. Turning others away because they simply don't grasp loving others like Jesus and treating them kind, carrying their burdens with them, praying for them, being there for them, putting ourselves aside for others. I am in no way perfect, I fall short all the time so I'm probably the last person that should be saying any of this. I just really want to make people aware...it matters! What we do and say matters! I have listened to so many people lately crying their eyes out about how hurt they are by "church people" people who are to be different. I know as a believer we aren't perfect, we're all still human but what are we portraying to those around us? Are we really wanting people to think we don't care? Or do we simply not care?! 

I find is so discouraging to hear of people making judgment calls on other peoples lives, gossiping about them, tearing them down when they don't even know all the information. And yet they say they care and love that person and only want the best for them. That information goes from one mouth to the next and by the time it gets back to the person it's about it is so distorted and hurtful and yet it was coming from love and not malice. I see people who need others hurdled around them in a time of need only to find the people they expected there were the first to bail. I have listened to so many people ache for a relationship with God and yet find the people who they thought would be there for them and help them grow be the first to turn them the opposite direction by their actions. So many people label "church people" as the biggest hypocrites and don't get why they should go to church if the things they do aren't any different then church goers? Are we different? And outside of being a believer are we simply different because we want others to be different? Do we even care?! 

I don't know. I just want people to open their eyes! Why can't they see that what they do and say hurts people?! When people around us, stranger, friends, family are struggling why are we gossiping and not helping? Why are we backing away instead of embracing? Why do we find it so easy to talk rather then do? And why do we say its out of love when it's out of selfishness. People need people...they need to know we love them and care. They need to feel Jesus' love through us. 

I have seen strangers, friends and family hurting in life and yet the thing that hurts them the most is how others make that hurt worse. I'm a pretty strong person, if you hurt me I'll probably ignore it. I'm not perfect and I never expect others to be. I forgive when needed and I apologize when thats needed. I sometimes hurt others when I'm not even trying to do that and all the things listed above i have done one time or another. God has changed my heart so much in the last year and I just ache for those around me. I truly see people who just simply don't care, they say they love Jesus and the last thing they are showing others is that same love. I guess I'm judging....I just get so confused about what we think is okay and acceptable anymore. Swearing, drinking, are clothes, gossiping, treating people unkind, are conduct in general. What are we saying to those around us? Or do we simply not care?!

I believe whole heartily that as a believer we are to be set apart. People are to know us by are deeds, our actions, are love, our kindness. I wanna live my life the best I can, I want others to know Jesus because of who I am and what he has done for me. I want them to look at me and know I am different....I never want anyone to question my faith and why I live the way I do. I want them to simply know I love Jesus and this is why I choose to be different. And I want them to know I care!