Posted on 12/01/2007 9:44:20 PM PST by endthematrix
I recently wrote a letter to my older sister asking forgiveness of any transgressions and ending bitterness and resentment.
She's seemingly a follower of the occult. The whole nine yards: Talking to the dead, soothsaying, hypnotherapy, spiritual healing, Crystals, oils, etc.
What to do...Just pray?
I'm weary to start my crusade and creating bad blood between us so soon after an exchange of forgiveness.
In her reply letter, she had mentioned Dr, Michael Ryce. That and a smattering of fairies, starseed... WTF?
I would pray and be kind. I think that rejecting her outright or going at her will just re-enforce her issues with your faith.
It sounds simple, but of course it isn’t.
It isn’t easy to hold your tongue, be kind, and model a kind Christian heart.
When she sees you at peace, she will wonder why, and then you can share with her.
It takes time and patience.
You are in my prayers.
I would leave her be if she isn't into actual devil worship. I know that might be hard for you but letting her live her own way may be better for both of you. I think God has a way of making things right in the long run but thats just me. Just keep praying for her. I talk to my dead family members all the time , whats wrong with that? And I believe in then power of self healing too. Maybe it really isn't as bad as it seems? Well prayers for you both . ~P~
I would agree that your approach may work with some people. However not all people respond to the subtle approach. If we approached everyone this way there would be people who would never consider asking her why she is at peace.
Sometimes you have to be as ‘open’ as they are to you. For all the time she sits there and eagerly tells YOU about HER ideas and beliefs, sometimes I would say you have to be like that towards her with YOUR faith and share concrete truths with her. Don’t be afraid to explicitly name Jesus and explain the Gospel and why you have a certain hope of being saved even though you don’t deserve it and can’t earn it. You have to be prepared for the responses that may come from this:
- she may try to ‘one-up’ you about the latest thing she’s in.
- she may stop bringing up spiritual stuff altogether because she doesn’t want you going into your faith.
- she may not want to hear your insights.
- she may ask more thought-provoked questions about what you have told her.
- she may discover you have something important and wants to know more about it.
I think this whole thing is a response to the secularism and commercialization in our culture.
I am praying for the Lord to guide you in this. How much older is your sister? And how long has she been engaged in this stuff?
OPINION:
You’re both adults.
You chose God; she did not.
You will pray for your sister.
She obviously doesn’t know how to pray to God.
You can send her a Bible with a maybe a special
book on how to get out of the dark hole she apparently
crawled in to.
She may or may not thank you.
YOU will pray for your sister.
That’s it.
I talk to my dead family members all the time, whats wrong with that?"
Do they talk back and tell you what they did today? I hope not. It's to the point of unhealthiness or lack of letting go.
As for the self-healing, it's just her CONSTANT battering of evil big pharma drugs while talking about the mystic properties of oils...but fails to quit smoking!?
WOW! Thanks everybody for your comments.
Maybe she needs to go through all of that before she can find her way.
She likely will get to the same finish line as you and I, but God has given her her own playbook. She follows it, and we follow ours.
We grow through learning. We learn from making mistakes.
If you tell her about your own learning experience, and why you rejected similar ‘practices’ to hers, then she has a chance to use that information as those practices fail to get her what she wants.
“Experience is what you get, right after you really needed it.”
The best thing to do is to set the example with the manner in which you live, and how you accept the challenges of life. If you push, they will merely push back.
Thats about all you can do.
I will pray for you and she too.
The objective of a Christian when dealing with anyone who has left the Christian faith is to win him back. Winning arguments, scoring points, even just making a good point, is never the objective. You may need to stand on principle occasionally, but those times are going to be few and far between, if ever. Not nearly as often as many people think. Standing on principle means refusing to engage in seances, for instance. There is no principle that says: “Everyone who comes to my house needs to be reminded every ten minutes that I’m a Christian.” Or: “I am obligated to dispute and disprove every statement I hear that is incompatible with my faith.”
I don’t believe that straying Christians are often won back to the faith by their relatives’ making a display of anxiety about eternal damnation. “A God who is just itching to send me to hell-—a religion that is making my family miserable with anxiety-—Oh, boy! That’s attractive!”
Pray for her faithfully. Do not remind her you are praying for her. If you are, she will know. Telling her you are praying for her will undo the benefit of lots of prayers.
The most powerful incentive for anyone to return to the truth is when his life is not working. If your life IS working, she will see the difference. Let her ask questions and share her doubts. If she has become confident that doing so will NEVER occasion a dispute or a lecture, she will do it. The safer and more peaceful your home is, in every possible way, the more you are succeeding.
How nice of you to ask for her forgiveness.....but, remember, she’s your sister, not your project......you’ve done what needs to be done.....be nice....pray for her, but let her go.....JMHO
Those are great ideas and points to be prepared. I’m not so sure I could be patient enough and not get aggravated though! But it could be something as simple as “I love you, and I want to hear about what goes on in your life and what is important to you. And in kind I will tell you what goes on in my life and what is important in my life”.
And pray EXTRA hard to have patience and wisdom ahead of time so it doesn’t end up in a big arguement.
I had a land lady once and we were friends and we would talk religous things and we were able to keep things on a very friendly level even though we both thought each other’s religions were wrong. But were able to explain things about our beliefs.
You must be a new ager. Thats how they talk. "all relgions lead to god" and that kind of bunk. The Bible clearly teaches there is only one way and thats through Jesus Christ. Thats what Christ taught, thats what the apostles taught and died for. And its been the truth ever since.
Thanks. That really is about the truest course. She does like to talk up various goofy things. We exchanged email and I had to tell her to stop after countless refuting her with Snopes. Kinda laughable at the time...but now I’ve come to the realization we are talking souls here.
BTW: I doubt also that many people are won back to the faith by the words of relatives. Get the monkey off your own back. Pray that she encounters good Christians, especially in a time of need. They are out there-—God knows who is out there who will do her good, and will send them into her life as needed.
BTW: I doubt also that many people are won back to the faith by the words of relatives. Get the monkey off your own back. Pray that she encounters good Christians, especially in a time of need. They are out there-—God knows who is out there who will do her good, and will send them into her life as needed.
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