Carpet Syndrome
Many times in my relationships with other people I have this fear of being taken advantage of, of being used as a carpet by others. After all we see people taking advantage of other people all the time and think we shouldn’t let people take advantage of us. At least I think that sometimes. Should we allow ourselves to be taken advantage of? Should we waste time and energy on those who are only out to help themselves and don’t seem to appreciate what we do for them? I mean they say they do but their actions show that they clearly don’t, if they did they would have gotten themselves out of their hole by now and wouldn’t still need help. Well I for one don’t have the wisdom to answer that question so all I can do is go to Christ and see what he does for those who are hopeless.
One of my favorite books of the bible is I John, I just love the love that John tells us Jesus has for us including this statement: "[Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."(I John 2:2 NKJV) Wait are we supposed to believe that Jesus suffered and died to pay for the sins of those people, who he knew in his infinite wisdom, would not accept him; More than that for those who prior in history had already lived and died and still had no chance of accepting him. Indicating that though he suffered for them they would deny him and suffer all eternity for a sin debt that could have been paid if only they had accepted it, and Christ’s suffering for them would have been in vain. So Jesus wasted time and energy, in other words was taken advantage of and used as carpet. Why would Jesus do this knowing those people for whom he did it would spit at it, and more than that would mock him and kill his followers and till he returns persecute those who accepted this gift, which they were too proud to accept. It seems beyond understanding to me, especially since I have trouble grasping why he would continue forgive those who call themselves his followers and yet daily turn away and sin when he offers the strength to avoid such things. But he does give us reasons as to why he does it in his word "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 NKJV).
So what do we learn from Jesus about the idea of being a human carpet? I think we learn that it is our job as Christians to do the same. This may seem to many to be a stupid answer but if you had asked me, without of course knowing everything behind what he was doing, where would be a good place to have Jesus born I assure you it would not have been in a manger and in fact I would have thought that a stupid idea. So what, may you ask, is the point of allowing others to continually hurt us, maybe financially or emotionally, over and over again? Well maybe nothing but our submission to the will of God and the act of love, which will reap magnificent rewards. Through showing Love to these people, which we are supposed to love, we for one show them what the Love of Christ is like: unending and unlimited. Not to mention others will see this and they will see the love with which you do it and this will cause them to wonder why, just like we wonder why Christ would do what he did, especially for those who don’t deserve it. And maybe they will ask you or someone else and find the truth and that is that we only love because Christ showed his love for us and told us to do the same for others.
Another thing to think about in wondering if we should allow others to walk all over us is: do we walk all over anyone? The answer to that question is yes and the person we frequent as a carpet is Christ. Just think about it ever time you sin it is like you are spitting in his face. It’s like going to your mother getting all cleaned up and then going in jumping in the mud. Now granted we don’t always try to get dirty, I mean it’s just something that happens when you are out on a rainy day you are bound to step in a few puddles, but none the less Jesus still has to clean the dirt off. And do remember with this in mind what Jesus says about forgiveness: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV)
And forgiveness is like wiping the slate clean and if you have wiped the slate clean how can you not allow people to do something you allowed them before when their slate was clean. If you do this then you have not truly wiped their slates clean and therefore do not forgive them and as Jesus "neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." So I conclude that we are called by Christ to do as Christ would do and in this case we are called to be fellow sufferers with Christ in the disease called carpet syndrome under that category of love.
One of my favorite books of the bible is I John, I just love the love that John tells us Jesus has for us including this statement: "[Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."(I John 2:2 NKJV) Wait are we supposed to believe that Jesus suffered and died to pay for the sins of those people, who he knew in his infinite wisdom, would not accept him; More than that for those who prior in history had already lived and died and still had no chance of accepting him. Indicating that though he suffered for them they would deny him and suffer all eternity for a sin debt that could have been paid if only they had accepted it, and Christ’s suffering for them would have been in vain. So Jesus wasted time and energy, in other words was taken advantage of and used as carpet. Why would Jesus do this knowing those people for whom he did it would spit at it, and more than that would mock him and kill his followers and till he returns persecute those who accepted this gift, which they were too proud to accept. It seems beyond understanding to me, especially since I have trouble grasping why he would continue forgive those who call themselves his followers and yet daily turn away and sin when he offers the strength to avoid such things. But he does give us reasons as to why he does it in his word "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 NKJV).
So what do we learn from Jesus about the idea of being a human carpet? I think we learn that it is our job as Christians to do the same. This may seem to many to be a stupid answer but if you had asked me, without of course knowing everything behind what he was doing, where would be a good place to have Jesus born I assure you it would not have been in a manger and in fact I would have thought that a stupid idea. So what, may you ask, is the point of allowing others to continually hurt us, maybe financially or emotionally, over and over again? Well maybe nothing but our submission to the will of God and the act of love, which will reap magnificent rewards. Through showing Love to these people, which we are supposed to love, we for one show them what the Love of Christ is like: unending and unlimited. Not to mention others will see this and they will see the love with which you do it and this will cause them to wonder why, just like we wonder why Christ would do what he did, especially for those who don’t deserve it. And maybe they will ask you or someone else and find the truth and that is that we only love because Christ showed his love for us and told us to do the same for others.
Another thing to think about in wondering if we should allow others to walk all over us is: do we walk all over anyone? The answer to that question is yes and the person we frequent as a carpet is Christ. Just think about it ever time you sin it is like you are spitting in his face. It’s like going to your mother getting all cleaned up and then going in jumping in the mud. Now granted we don’t always try to get dirty, I mean it’s just something that happens when you are out on a rainy day you are bound to step in a few puddles, but none the less Jesus still has to clean the dirt off. And do remember with this in mind what Jesus says about forgiveness: "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV)
And forgiveness is like wiping the slate clean and if you have wiped the slate clean how can you not allow people to do something you allowed them before when their slate was clean. If you do this then you have not truly wiped their slates clean and therefore do not forgive them and as Jesus "neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." So I conclude that we are called by Christ to do as Christ would do and in this case we are called to be fellow sufferers with Christ in the disease called carpet syndrome under that category of love.
posted by Chuckles at 7:41 AM
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