Disclaimer
“My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:19
Have you ever seen those advertisements either on tv or magazines about this incredible weight loss or saved from an enormous debt? Now, what comes right after it? A disclaimer. The disclaimer will say results will vary or not a guarantee you will get these same results. I think that when we give our testimonies about the life we have in God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Mary or the Saints or how They have helped us over come something, a disclaimer should also appear. Now before you get upset by that hear me out as the reason it should be.
First let me say what the disclaimer should be: " Each of us will be touched, healed, moved, tested, given graces, shown the way, given answers, and prayers answered all differently. No relationship is the same, no one is loved more or less, no one is heard clearer in prayers or thoughts, no one is put ahead of another, and we are all the same in the eyes of God."
There are two reasons I feel this way. The first is : To many times we, and I include myself in this as well, see how God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Mary or the Saints move, act and appear to those around us and compare how they are in our lives. The second is : When people hear what has been done in others lives it can have both a positive and negative result. The positive gives them hope and that is what sharing our testimonies should be doing. The negative can make people lose that hope as well. The reason is that they may turn away because they feel less, that God doesn't love them, that He cares for others and not them. For example if someone is ill and they hear how someone was given a miracle it can make them feel why not them. There is also a part where people say that they were healed by going to a place, being prayed over by, or went through a program. Those events are a personal one and is not a guarantee. Yes, this is where faith and hope come into it but when someone is holding out and feel that if they follow that persons way, they too shall be healed. It is not the way of the person but the way God has acted in them and through them. People when they are desperate do not see things as clearly as others. We need to keep that in mind when we speak about our lives. It is in the turning to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Mary and the Saints that we are touched, healed and shown the way. It is not in a program, a person, or a group. Yes, each of them can be used by all those in Heaven but it is not on them ( program, person, group) alone.
When we speak we need to be clear on how these events in our spiritual lives truly take place. We can not give false or questionable hope to those who are seeking that connection, healing, or answers. Yes, God will use us to glorify Him and give hope to those who are in need but it is in His name that all things were made possible.
This does not mean that we pull back and do not share our journey or our testimony but be aware that people are listening and we are never sure what they are holding onto from what we are saying. Our lives should be giving people hope that there is a God and that He loves them just as much as us and that He will and can do great things in them and through them as well. The disclaimer is not to take away hope but to direct that hope to the Heavens and not to man or women or place or group or object.
The disclaimer is for both the person hearing the testimony and the one giving it as we'll. We are the ones who are speaking and we must allow the Heavens to be glorified and not those people or things of the world. Yes, say who helped you, what program helped, what prayers helped but remind them that is how God used those things to help, heal and connect with YOU and how it may be different for others.
Until tomorrow, God Bless, and remember the disclaimer of this world so the Heavens can be glorified.
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