The Pushover Personality

The other day in my Excellent Wife Bible Study we talked about Philiippians 2:3 which says (in the NIV) "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider other better than yourselves". WOW. God's word is so good and so clear. I like to think I have a pretty big heart when it comes to loving on others, but I started to question if there is a line where to much is too much. This world has trained us to stand up for ourselves, do what we want, dont let people run over you. I have heard these things SOOO many times in the course of my life. I really struggled with this a while back and my friend Sarah gave me this verse "For GOD is pleased with you when, for the sake of your conscience, you patiently endure unfair treatment". (1 Peter 2:19) So I talked to Michelle (my mentor) and Heather and Jenn (my Bible study leaders) about this. They said just because my "doormat" (my word not theirs) personality was NOT the norm does NOT mean that it is not how I should act. Afterall, how many ways of the Bible are actually the norm? So being a "pushover" may not necessiarly be the way the world would suggest I act, its exactly how Jesus commands us to! Now don't get me wrong, you are supposed to stand up when the other person is involved in sin or tryin to involve you in it. But if its just a perspective issue, or a comfort thing ... its not worth fighting about. Another brief thing I want to throw out there is how much we have been taught that lying is OK! "It's just a white lie" some say, or "you were doing it to protect them". But I did some research and there are a TON of verses, SCRIPTURE to back up how God sees lies, even "little white" ones. In Revelation 22:15 God compares liars to other sinners "Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic acts, the sexually immoral, the murders, the idolators, and everyone who LIES and practices falsehood"! WOW! He sees lyin the same way he sees murder! Have we seriously become so brain washed that we believe its OK?!? I know that I had. I didnt realize how HUGE it is, and how often we (myself included) just act like it is nothing or we justify it!!! I have found so many convicting and encouraging scriptures out there to meditate on and read EVERY day to remind myself. Here are a few of my favorite:Proverbs 13:3 "He who guards his lips guards his soul".Psalm 19:14 "God, may everything I think and everything I say today bring you pleasure". Proverbs 12:22 "The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful". I know this was kind of long, but I was lying in bed and God would not let me sleep until I got this all out there, in case someone out there reading this needed to hear that. So please leave comments or encouragment or just a HELLO. Thanks and Gig 'Em!