When BDF gets to be too much the best thing to do is take a break.
I get it, you are lashing out.... BDF is a tough place and not for the faint of heart, everyone is heavily invested in their own beliefs and this is to be expected.
OSAS aside, there is obviously too much emotion at play... those emotions will not subside or heal unless you distance yourself from the cause.
Just my experience .. take it or leave it but I do think it will help.
YO! I agree with taking a break from BDF for sure. For me it's sometimes like politics at times...like I'll tune in when it's something super important but there are times I'm like "yeahhh no."
Plenty of times I'll make a rather long post and just don't post it because I'm not sure if it should be said. There's always areas where I need to expound and each person views things through a different lens and I want to find agreement with others and not have to write a book. I grant that there are certain areas that I am deficient in certainly. I don't think I am in critical error about most issues...but I do reassess obsessively at times.
@Leastamongmany (for some reason I can't hyperlink your name). I don't really know you that well, I fully agree that NO ONE knows you fully except the Lord. That does not mean we can't see him within you...and guess what? We all have growing and maturing to do.
I think many members would do well to remember that none of us will ever "arrive" and our "sanctification process" won't cease.
I think most do, it's just that it may not be always on the forefront.
For me it is because it stares me in the face every day that I can't quite get a grip on my own spirit. Possibly because I don't have sovereignty over myself but rather am owned and am a vessel. A lot of people would find these things obvious scripturally but "practically" walking it out. Figuring out where YOU end and HE begins gets rather confusing as we have some sense of agency in our walks.
Thus your ability to post what you opened with even though you knew it to be un-biblical and contrary to the word.
Do I condemn you for it? No. Do I think the Lord does? No.
Would I encourage you to run to him with your frustrations in the future or privately seek someone out about it? Yes.
I've done that with stuff online here. Mostly because of the public/permanent nature of posts.
That's between you and the Lord though.
Look at how the disciples acted with Jesus walking alongside them...it is error but we all have done it. If not out loud and publicly then in our own thought life. Just thinking a vile thought about someone or being vulgar in our own minds...we all wrestle with the flesh, sometimes it's a bit easier to pinpoint in people for a myriad of reasons. I would be quite curious if anyone here could claim that they haven't ever called someone a name or thought about doing so (in the flesh ofc).
I've come a long way from when I was younger and super full of myself.
You know when people get in an argument and their flesh comes out later and they say things like "I should have said that..." in regards to a biting comeback or cutting sarcasm?
Well I always did say exactly what I wanted. I took pleasure in it. The Lord rebuked me though, I couldn't stand to see the pain. Even though in the moment I was a tool of the enemy.
I realized how powerful words were and am pretty careful about what I say. Words can be like allowing an open door to evil if used in the flesh, I'm not going to go deep into the concept of what rebellion and pride produce but let us just agree that it is rotten fruit. I don't think it's appropriate to discuss because I don't think any of us here that are believers desire these things as a practice.
It is what proceeds out of a man that defiles...therefore our words should be few.
Somewhat irrelevant aside:
I can't tell you how insurmountable this "few" is for myself personally but I parry that with the fact that we are held accountable for every idle word.
I sometimes feel embarrassed at how long my posts end up being and I've been insulted for it person to person. I take solace in the fact that this only took 4 minutes to say out loud at the cadence I would normally speak. So taking 5 minutes to say something to someone (as well as anyone that chooses to read) doesn't seem to be error. I would of course be open to anyone that feels differently.
I'm pretty sure my 8 hour conversation days are in the past. Mostly.
Anyway, I didn't get a chance to fully know you.
Take a break. Dig into your local body. If you don't have one. Find one...this is NOT a substitute. It's more of an auxiliary resource. I think it "could be" if the right conditions were met (like being homebound, isolated, overseas with no local body in a language that you understand) Probably more and I'm not the Lord so you know...I could be off.
I just know that's something that personally has been brought up to me. You get tired of the net. It only satisfies certain needs and there are things you say here that you would not say in person...so that HAS to be factored in.
Also consider in the future purchasing a membership for private messages (factoring in the internet)...Biblically things must be brought privately first and then to a few others...and then we publicly bring it up.
I've had rather fleshly arguments with people where I thought I was operating correctly and they did also...who was right? No idea to be honest. I think we were both right and both wrong. It left behind a scar to where it's like I can't fully get people and their individual walk (which is frustrating)...sometimes we are connecting so well and then...wham! brick wall.
I am of the opinion currently that it is quite rare to experience something like "seeing eye to eye" on all issues at all times (if not an impossibility due to our own uniqueness) Corporately I think we have unity in Christ, but that we WILL butt heads over minor "tiffs". Some of us have different ways of handling it of course.
Wrapping up (that might have been 6-7 mins
) I legit only came on this thread because I like campfires and was like cool a fire thread yay! So I can say that I was disappointed but also I always appreciate putting my thoughts into words and hopefully there is something to be gleaned.
Romans 8:28. Peace be with you. j