Steve Simms's Blog, page 197

One solitary race (humanity)

Job applications confuse me. They ask for “race” but don’t include a box for “human.” Our race is based on our humanity, not on our skin color.

If you’re a person, your race is “human.” Skin-color is an incidental. It would be crazy to look down on a cat because of it’s color. Same with people! The concept of color-based race was invented as a justification for cruelty.

Splitting the human race into color-based subsets, was a bad idea! Dividing the human race into a color hierarchy was morally wrong. All people have an equal place in the human race. That should be denied to no one.

The quality of a car has nothing to do with its color. The same goes for people. Earth is an art gallery of the creations of God. Human skin-color is part of His creativity.

To insult or mistreat people is disloyalty to the human race. Divisiveness is human-race-baiting. Instead, play the human-race-card and embrace everybody with kindness and respect. Make the world a better place by respecting every member of the human race.

Let’s get Off the RACE Track.

Sometimes in order to “get over it,” you need to cry over it

Un-cried tears leave crusty mineral deposits on your heart and make it as hard as stone. Freedom of expression includes the freedom to cry. Tears reveal an uncensored heart.

Crying demonstrates emotional courage, not mental instability. Refusing to let yourself cry makes about as much sense as refusing let yourself laugh. It takes much more courage to openly cry than it does to hold back your tears.

“Blood, sweat, and tears,” if the first two are considered macho, why not the third? “Real men,” holding back their tears, miss out on much healing. If you believe, “Real men don’t cry”, why not, “Real men don’t laugh”? (If tears were feminine, men wouldn’t have tear ducts.)

If laughing was called “hysterical” as quickly as tears are, they’d be a lot less of it. Since laughing in public is acceptable, crying in public should be as well.

If God wanted our tears to be private, why did He make them so obviously visible? Crying faces and overcomes weakness. Denying hides it.

Leaky eyes are a sign of a courageously sensitive heart. To say, “Dry your tears,” is an indirect way to say, “Harden your heart.” Censorship is seen in action when people say, “Don’t cry.” Tear ducts allow uncensored emotion to flow down human cheeks. When you censor your tears, you desensitize your heart.

Most adults’ tears are hidden; kept secret. However, crying is much more common that we know. Many people you encounter every day have recently cried. (If you knew how much the person you don’t like, has secretly cried, you’d feel compassion.) Tears are peacemakers. Seeing an opponent’s pain on his cheeks softens your heart.

If you always stop tears when they try to flow, someday you’ll want to cry and can’t. I think we are uncomfortable with people’s tears because they shout to our soul.

“Don’t cry,” may be the worst advice ever given. To stigmatize crying is to stigmatize depression. Sometimes in order to “get over it,” you need to cry over it. Crying is a safer, healthier way of letting your emotions flow, than anger is.

Many inhibitions and taboos (both social and personal) fight to keep us from crying. People may have denied that they cried, more than they have lied about anything else. Unforced tears are a sign of authenticity.

Both tears and laughter are broader than we think. Sometimes happy people cry. Sometimes sad people laugh. When people share a heart-moving experience, there’s “not a dry eye in the house.”

When the going gets tough, those who think they’re too tough for tears, struggle the most. All tears matter. Let tears of joy, gratitude, relief, compassion, and pain, all have their place in your eyes. Tears weigh less as they roll down your cheeks than when you keep them in your heart.

Let that tear appear. Keeping your eyes dry when you start to cry, denies the heart. When we tear up, it’s frequently a tune up for our heart. Tears are mind altering and heart healing. Drinking and drugs are a poor substitute for God’s healing gift of tears.

Tears go beyond their biological purpose of lubricating the eyes. They also give expression to the heart. It’s a good thing to sometimes allow your heart to flow through your eyes. Tears add a physical dimension to human emotions.

Tear tracks are poetry written on a human face. Tears in your eyes can empower you to see things visible only to the heart. They express things that are too deep for words. Trickle down emotions reveal a tender and courageous heart.

Tears communicate at a deeper level than words by nonverbally revealing the heart. They reveal a person’s humanity and connect people to one another spiritually. People who cry together know each other in a much deeper way than people who don’t.

There’s no shortage of “something to cry about.” Tears of joy come from affection, gratitude, amazement, inspiration, relief, tenderness, achievement, or laughter. They’re good for you. Don’t stop them.

In Western culture, tears are taboo, especially for men. That denies science. To refuse to cry is to deny an important part of your humanity. Heartfelt tears testify that humans are spiritual beings who transcend physiology.

A long drought of tears produces a withered heart. If you’re not careful, drying up all your tears can dry up your soul. In all your streaming, remember; sometimes it’s healthy to stream some tears. Although they flow from the eyes, they cleanse and wash the heart.

Tears are extremely light, but often carry the weight of a broken heart. One solitary tear can be the beginning of a flood of healing and relief. Tears aren’t meant to be buried in the heart, but shed through the eyes.

Heart-felt tears are effortless. If we don’t quench them, they freely flow. The mind often functions better when the heart has been cleansed by tears. People freely give in to their desires, but fight not to give in to their tears.

Why don’t people cry more? Fear of what other people will think about them.

People want to cry alone, but shared tears are important. The Bible says, “Weep with those who weep.” Rom. 12:15. People like to apologize for crying. It’s more biblical to apologize for not crying.

Anger strengthens pride. Crying flows with humility. Often tears are divinely inspired. Be careful not to dismiss them too quickly. If you put man-made eyedrops in your eyes, why not let God-given eyedrops flow from your eyes?

Just because a face shows no trace of tears, it doesn’t mean the heart’s not hurting. If you will sincerely listen to hurting people, you can hear their heart breaking. Eyes moist with tears of compassion, reveal a heart that sees and hears.

Deeply sincere prayer often releases tears. Eye moisture, when connected with emotion, is powerful. If you bury your compassion, you’ll be uncomfortable when you see someone cry.

Black history tells the censored story of trillions of tears caused by injustice. It reveals some of the tears from slavery, Jim Crow and lynching, that have been censored from American history.

Crying is a spiritual gift that opens our heart to God and to people. Maybe that’s why we resist it.

Jesus said to be like little children.
They’re not ashamed to cry.
Jesus wept openly.
Why shouldn’t I?

Tear ducts give the okay to cry

If you have tear ducts, you have permission to cry. Society trained me to resist my tears. I’m still trying to overcome that. I’ve discovered that to block tears is to jam up my heart.

Laughing is often a cover up for sadness. Crying is frequently an expression of joy.

Tears expressed eventually lead to joy. Tears repressed maintain your pain. There is strength in tears. It takes great courage to openly cry. Tears enable us to connect with our noblest feelings and heal our most painful ones.

Tears are the words the eyes. They reveal a kind and open heart. To silence them is to censor their attempt to bring you inner healing.

Instead of wiping the tears from our eyes, we should let our tears wipe the pain from our heart. Instead of wiping away your tears, wipe away your embarrassment and cry anyway. Unfortunately, I’ve often denied the tracks of my tears, due to my lack of courage to admit them. (Crying is for the courageous. The words “cry baby” need to be replaced with “cry hero.”)

Seeing someone cry touches our heart. People who have clamped down their heart, often try to stop others from crying. But that is like telling them to stop smiling. It’s an infringement on their right to open up their heart. Trying to get someone to quit crying doesn’t comfort them. It manipulates them.

Tears are cleansing. To avoid them is like avoiding a bath. It’s easy to be afraid of our tears (and the tears of others), however, unrestrained tears, allowed to flow until they stop on their own, are rare.

Joy, gratitude, awe, compassion, or pain, can all call forth tears. When something is beyond words, tears will often come through for you, if you let them. To refuse to cry when prompted from within, is to deny what’s happening in your heart.

Tears are more than water. The ability to cry because of another’s pain is the gift of heart-felt compassion. To be ashamed of your heart-felt tears is to be ashamed of a gift from God.

It doesn’t seem right that public laughter is acceptable, but public crying isn’t. Live with the sensitivity and freedom to laugh or cry as your heart is moved.

Sometimes life is better understood thru heart-felt tears than thru cold, hard logic. In some of the happiest moments of my life, tears of joy have overflowed my eyes.

If you’ve never let awe move you to tears, you’ve missed out on a powerful experience. Sincere, heart-felt crying, always produces “a good cry.”

The idea that tears show weakness and that crying should be avoided, is false. To allow yourself to cry when deeply moved is a sign of courage. Through out the Bible, men don’t hide their tears, but openly cry.

In the Bible, crying in public is common; but laughing in public is rare. Modern societies are the opposite. Focusing on the living Jesus moves me to tears.

Biblical prophets often, publicly cried. Today, few who claim to be prophets openly cry. The “rivers of living water” that Jesus prophetically said would flow from within you as the Holy Spirit, sound a lot like deep, healing tears.

Make no room for rumors

The more room you make for rumors, the more they mushroom in your mind. A rumor consumer is guided more by emotions than by facts. Rumor spreaders give rumor makers too much power.

Perhaps it’s easy to believe that people are doing bad things, because we know that we also do bad things. We need a conspiracy theory about a group of people who are conspiring to bring about more kindness and compassion.

Gossip is a set-up for anger and hostility. Retaliatory words are seldom helpful.

Freedom of speech involves the right to kindly express your belief that certain behaviors are morally wrong. It’s not the right to verbally attack people or to spread rumors.

Gossip,
Rumors,
Speculation,
Conspiracy theories,
Create a web of deception.

I self-identify as human

We have a common identity.
Everybody I see,
Is human like me.

My identity is human. I’m part of the largest community in the world. (Let’s simplify identity and all just be human.)

Science and your DNA identify you as one member of the human race. Enough said.

Bigotry is identity theft. It attempts to rob people of their human identity.

Everyone who reads this has an amazing identity. You’re all people, made in the image of God!

Respectful, peaceful conversation is often more effective than weaponized words. To avoid being verbally cruel we need compassion for those who challenge our opinions.

I identify as human–made in God’s image, but unable to live up to it without Him. To deny anyone’s identity as equally human, is arrogance. Here’s true equality (aligned with humility): “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Disagreeing with people is a right. Being mean to them isn’t. Don’t let false identities, that divide humanity, fill your heart with hostility. If you can’t be respectful when people disagree with you, you’re kindness challenged.

Unkindness is unnecessary. MLK and Gandhi proved that neither unkindness or violence is needed to improve society. We shouldn’t mistreat any person or any form of human life.

Kindness always matters.
Communicate with kindness.
Disagree with kindness.
Encourage prenatal kindness.

Hey, humanity: Let’s be kind to all members of the human race. I’m always honored to meet a fellow human. Blessings to all!

When life gives you demons

When life gives you demons, call on the living Jesus to come to your aid. Run to Jesus and strongly reject the demons and their tormenting thoughts. We can be rescued from demons and their deception, and given fresh new perception, by the living Jesus.

Jesus is my Savior. He is continually calling me away from harmful and destructive influences. Jesus wants to make your soul whole, not just for Heaven, but so you can have joy now.

There is a Savior from anger, hate, cruelty, and disfunction. His name is Jesus. Jesus doesn’t offer a business deal, signed by a repeat-a-prayer, but an ongoing relationship with Him to set us on fire.

To follow Jesus, we need to be aware of His presence so we can let Him lead us. A person who believes that he has life figured out, feels no need for a Savior.

The living Jesus wants to free your from your mess, not to condemn you for making it. People who boastfully refuse to admit their mess, feel no need to humbly confess.

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OOO — Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient

I don’t just believe that God is omnipresent. I experience Him as ever in-me-present!

God’s everywhere.
Even if your unaware,
Wherever you go,
He’s already there.

God’s everywhere,
Not just in holy places.
Look closely and see God
In human faces.

There is one place God will let you keep Him out of. That’s your heart.

To believe God is omnipotent, but reject His power in your life, is tragic. By your own belief, you’ve admitted that you can’t prevail over God.

If you believe God is omniscient, trying to hide anything from Him is nuts! It’s a waste of your time and energy.

Many people question God. Few allow God to question them. “Search me, O Lord.”

Nature is logically arranged. If God didn’t arrange it, who did?

Life can’t be scientifically proven to have meaning. Still, few intellectuals follow the science and live like their life is meaningless.

I believe in one, not-of-the-world government–the kingdom of God! Let the living Jesus rule! Listen closely to your conscience and Jesus will give you His perspective and direction.

The living Jesus isn’t stuck in the past or the future. He’s present and active, right now. I find that ardent, passionate enthusiasm for Jesus isn’t welcome in most churches. Even the Desert Fathers (in the fourth century) felt the need to leave church behind so that they could passionately pursue Jesus.

Revival is when the living Jesus is unleashed from programs, organizational hierarchy, human control, and tradition. Unfortunately, church frequently substitutes meetings, rituals, and programs for the presence of the living Jesus.

Fight for your dependence by surrendering

To answer the Bible’s call to daily dependence on Jesus is to really live. If Jesus isn’t working in and thru you, you’re not experiencing what He wants you to.

If you don’t focus on Jesus, you won’t be able to follow Him. If you do, you won’t want to follow anything or anyone else. You can’t follow the risen Jesus with hollow words. He requires total surrender and dependence.

If you won’t hear directly from Jesus and respond to what He tells you, what you hear in a sermon won’t help you much. Christian beliefs are no substitute for a godly lifestyle. “Be doers of the word, not hearers only.” There’s no reason to claim Christianity, if you don’t want to obey the risen Jesus.

Grace doesn’t replace obedience to the living Jesus. It empowers it.

When the living Jesus is your attraction, all the rest is just distraction. Christianity, without daily dependence on the living Jesus, is just an empty shell.

Discipleship is surrendering to what Jesus wants, not demanding what you want. Biblical Christ-followers live to please God, not to satisfy their own desires. If you don’t align your desires with God’s will, they’ll gradually malign your life. However, if you let Jesus have His way in your thoughts and feelings, He’ll fill you with light and delight!

Get to know Jesus the way you get to your friends, thru relationship, not by hearing lectures about them. To miss out on the joy of heart-to-heart interaction with Jesus, is to miss it all! People who truly believe that Jesus is alive, should continually try to make direct connection with Him.

Seeing truth when you don’t wanna

Continually accusing others makes us blind to our own faults, but we’re not innocent. You can help people more by sincerely listening to them, than by accusing them. To ignore your conscience is to ignore the way to a better life.

Blindness to injustice, past and present, is widespread. Compassion helps us see it. To go beyond deception, we need to see truth that hurts, not just truth that we like.

When seeing truth costs us something, it’s easy to look the other way. If you openly look at truth, it will mess up your fantasies. Any truth that we refuse to see, holds us in bondage. Check out: Off the RACE Track.