An objection is raised:
A man, after careful self-examination, concludes that the reason God has illuminated the Biblical truth about marriage & PM to himself, rather than to his neighbor, is because God wants him to DO something with the knowledge. Presumably practice what he has learned. This feels / sounds / looks like a “calling”.
His wife disagrees and decrees that he will abandon his studies, repudiate his convictions, and confess that his interest in the topic had nothing to do with God, but merely an urge to justify going after some “strange”.
She further decrees that if he refuses and proceeds, he will lose everything. She’ll leave him, take the kids, deny visitation, demand child support, brand him a heretic and a dead-beat dad, and make him miserable in every way she can think up.
But … but … but … Isn’t the Lord supposed to BLESS those who follow Him? Doesn’t Jesus specifically promise in Matthew 19:29, “Everyone that has forsaken … wife, or children, … for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”? Whassup?
This happens.
My own experience has been a somewhat less extreme form of this. My wife did leave, but without the unbridled hostility portrayed above.
Yet, my family looks at my life and counts losses left and right. They are frequently thrown up into my face as a general practical objection to PM, when all appeals to mythical or misappropriated Scripture have been shot full of holes. (I do favor 00 buckshot over rocksalt. :lol: )
I, on the contrary, see blessings galore.
[highlight=#ffff00]Who is right? Is the objection valid? What does God’s blessing really look like? Is it present when others are counting your losses?[/highlight]
I am reminded of the apostle Paul. What was his situation before the meeting on the road?
Me? I can’t claim either such levels of persecution, nor such dramatic results. But …
So I will close this post by offering my own conclusion, with Paul, that I have in fact GAINED by following God’s leading, regardless of what has fallen away.
We been BLESSED.
The argument against is invalid!
A man, after careful self-examination, concludes that the reason God has illuminated the Biblical truth about marriage & PM to himself, rather than to his neighbor, is because God wants him to DO something with the knowledge. Presumably practice what he has learned. This feels / sounds / looks like a “calling”.
His wife disagrees and decrees that he will abandon his studies, repudiate his convictions, and confess that his interest in the topic had nothing to do with God, but merely an urge to justify going after some “strange”.
She further decrees that if he refuses and proceeds, he will lose everything. She’ll leave him, take the kids, deny visitation, demand child support, brand him a heretic and a dead-beat dad, and make him miserable in every way she can think up.
He does proceed, and she makes good on her word.
But … but … but … Isn’t the Lord supposed to BLESS those who follow Him? Doesn’t Jesus specifically promise in Matthew 19:29, “Everyone that has forsaken … wife, or children, … for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”? Whassup?
This happens.
My own experience has been a somewhat less extreme form of this. My wife did leave, but without the unbridled hostility portrayed above.
Yet, my family looks at my life and counts losses left and right. They are frequently thrown up into my face as a general practical objection to PM, when all appeals to mythical or misappropriated Scripture have been shot full of holes. (I do favor 00 buckshot over rocksalt. :lol: )
I, on the contrary, see blessings galore.
[highlight=#ffff00]Who is right? Is the objection valid? What does God’s blessing really look like? Is it present when others are counting your losses?[/highlight]
I am reminded of the apostle Paul. What was his situation before the meeting on the road?
- He was a young member of the Sanhedrin, a high honor.
- Membership required marriage, so presumably he was married.
- He was a student of Gamaliel, the most highly regarded scholar of Judaism in his day.
- He had a certain respect, even fear, in society.
- He was financially secure enough to be able to take off on Sanhedrin errands, such as persecuting Christians around the countryside.
- He was on just such a mission at the moment, presumably with a retinue of some sort.
- From the Jews five times I received forty lashes minus 1.
- Three times I was beaten with rods;
- Once I was stoned. (Implies he died, but was raised back to life. see vs 23. May have happened more than once!)
- Three times I was shipwrecked;
- A night and a day I have been in the deep;
- In journeys often,
- In perils of waters,
- In perils of robbers,
- In perils of my own countrymen,
- In perils of the Gentiles,
- In perils in the city,
- In perils in the wilderness,
- In perils in the sea,
- In perils among false brethren;
- In weariness and toil,
- In sleeplessness often,
- In hunger and thirst,
- In fastings often
- In cold and nakedness –
- Besides other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
- How many saved, brought to a knowledge of God, and filled with the Holy Spirit?
- How many churches both planted and nurtured?
- What revelation from God? (It appears that what Jesus said the disciples weren’t yet ready to bear before His ascension was later revealed the Paul.)
- What a lifetime of experiences?
- What opportunities to defend his belief before royalty, both in Judea and in Rome?
- Finally, 2000 years later, we still study and ponder his writings, and our lives are changed thereby.
Me? I can’t claim either such levels of persecution, nor such dramatic results. But …
- My relationship with God has gone from a self-satisfied church member sitting on a pew, to a Son of God, Sitting on the Father’s Lap, and an earnest student.
- I’ve made so many, many truly high quality friends all over the country, both in and out of the PM movement.
- I’ve been exposed to many workings of God not visible within the insulated fold of my particular denomination.
- Before, I wrote and it was heard by my journal and stored on a shelf, or at best perhaps by my local congregation of perhaps 65. Now, I write for a worldwide audience.
- Oh yes, I did receive an additional wife, and 4 children + grandchildren … The story’s not over, but I’m not really holding God to the hundredfold wives thang! :lol:
So I will close this post by offering my own conclusion, with Paul, that I have in fact GAINED by following God’s leading, regardless of what has fallen away.
We been BLESSED.
The argument against is invalid!
