Judith said
Helen Young, I’m not being confrontational on purpose but I do wonder about myself saying I’m a believer. If I truly believed, I would live very differently.
  

How would you live differently?

Judith said
Helen Young: “…aren’t we more likely to be generous, kind and more charitable.”
I think that’s being a decent human being. It would seem to me more is required if we are to think of ourselves as believers in Christ. Then, we would devote ourselves wholeheartedly in the service of others. 
  

Jesus said Love others as yourself. – Paul said Love others more than yourself. 

If we don’t give ourselves equal care and equal sustenance, then we are going to burn out and be of no use to anyone, including ourselves. That’s not going to work.

Judith said
Helen Young: “How would you live differently?”
It would mean giving up my life to serve others. Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses thir life for me will find it. Matthew 16;25 NIV
  

I’ve never really understood that verse, or understood it in that way. I guess the way I’ve understood it is that a person has to be willing to be murdered, literally lose their life, while proselytizing and spreading the word about Christ. That was the reality back in those days.

If one wants to give up their life serving others, one basically has to become a nun or a monk or something. The rest of us have to work 40 or more hours a week to make a living and do all the household management things as well. This doesn’t leave much or any time to be giving one’s life to others. Of course, one does what one can, but it can basically only amount to so much.

I guess one of my basic principles of being a good Christian, or just being a good person, is, “first do no harm”. In the world we live in, that’s not nothing. Of course, one wants to do more, but people need to start here and then move forward. Without first doing no harm, one doesn’t get anywhere, not anywhere much at all.

Judith said
Helen Young, all that you just said is very true except I believe we find ways to do whatever it is that we really want to do. If I’m truly a believer, my focus would be in finding ways to serve Christ. I would make the time to do it. Jesus said we could do more than He did because we would have God with us, the Holy Spirit with us and Him, too. (John 14:12)
  

Can’t what we really want to do and serving Christ be one and the same thing? At least, some or much of the time?

Making the time to do things is an interesting concept. I’ve had times in my life when it was all I could do to have the time to keep my life going and keep the regular things on track. Though I think we are both right on this in certain ways.

Can posting and commenting here on the forum be a way of serving Christ, or at least serving what is good? We both have the time for this. – – – I’m not good at proselytizing, and not into it at all; chances are I’d just make things worse, even much worse. I’m really not that good at it or into it at all. But we can say and post things that at least make the idea of Christ okay, and at least something that people are willing to communicate about?

I’ve always understood the verse you quote, John 14:12, as meaning that we, or the people who Jesus was talking to, would be able to create bigger and better miracles than Jesus himself was able to. I think I need to reread it and read it in context to get a better sense of what the verse means.

Thanks for your comment.

Judith said
Helen Young, I do not think this is the place to even think of proselytizing and am grateful for the tolerance shown to me, a believer. 
  

Robert said
Not tolerance, Judith, appreciation. 
  

It’s nice to know that it can be appreciation and not just tolerance.

Yous all don’t have to worry about me proselytizing. I’d just make a mess of things and make things a whole lot much more much worse. 🙂 

Judith said
Helen Young: “Can I ask…”
They prioritized. They made it important enough to find ways to do it. Then, others joined them!
  

Yeah, but how did they eat, keep a roof over their heads, manage to have decent clothing, and pay their own electric, taxes, and water bills while they were doing all this? Were they raising children while they were doing this? There’s a full-time and then some job for ya. – – I’m just wondering how they did it and stayed alive at the same time?

Judith said

Enough of all this though and am sorry to keep at it. I’m just overwhelmed with my inability to keep on top of my own life and aware it’s no way to live as a believer.
  

I can’t help but feel that you are being too hard on yourself. Sometimes it’s enough just to be a nice person in this world.

Judith said
In the time I’ve spent on The Forum today, a school child could have been helped, a lonely person in assisted living could have enjoyed a visit, an hour could have been spent teaching someone to learn to read.
I’m not hard on myself at all. I do see where my priorities lie and they are not with doing whatever I can in the service of Jesus and His teachings. I’m as salt without savor.
Can we let this go now? 
  

Yes of course. So sorry that it was a nuisance. I honestly didn’t realize it was. Sorries.

Judith said
Helen Young, please do not think of it that way! I must need to have to say all this. I’m not attending church or doing Bible Community Service and Bible studies so am an outlier among my family, friends and neighbors. Not daring to discuss religion, I suppose that has me spouting off here. It’s not you at all. It’s me.
  

Thanks for saying as much. – – No worries 🙂