So What Now?!?!?!?

Let’s say I have walked the wrong way. I have chosen the wrong friends. I have spoken the wrong words. I have made the wrong decisions and taken the advice that led me down paths that do not honor my God and His sacrifices. What do I do when God is calling me to Himself but I am too ashamed to go, because He knows who and what I really am?

It would make sense to stop and repent. In a real and practical sense, simply make a u-turn and never return to that path again! Doesn’t that sound so easy on paper? To listen to someone tell me that I am going the wrong way certainly makes sense, but to take my daily life and just change overnight feels like an impossible task. Especially when those wrong choices have given me an escape from some of the consequences I fear. I mean, to be honest, as much as I hate the guilt and emptiness that comes with these life style patterns-- facing them seems even scarier. The last thing I want to do is to look into my friends’ eyes and apologize for lying to them, or sit in a counselor’s office and let my wife know what really goes on in my mind, or have an honest moment with my children and show them that their father was mistaken, or sit in a worship service and let my God see the rotten mold that has grown while I thought He wasn’t watching. I am sure that you have your own examples that you could place in this paragraph. No matter what situation you face, it requires the same type of attention--God’s presence and grace, and a whole lot of integrity and honesty.

One of the personal issues that I dealt with as a young man came in the form of deception. I was insecure about who I was and, to be fully honest, I didn’t like who I was. I remember being in church and listening to someone share their wonderful testimony about how they were saved from drugs and alcohol. Everyone cheered for them, and I was jealous! Why couldn’t God save me from drugs and alcohol? Well, without ever touching a drug or becoming an alcoholic, I decided to tell everyone about the drugs and alcohol that were destroying my life, and how God saved me. It was a blatant lie, and one that I am sure everyone saw right through. Yet it began a habit in my life of trying to appear to be something different than I was. The lies grew and grew, and the truth became more and more confusing. Then one day the Lord truly dealt with me and I had to confess my lies to all of the people who were close to me. They must have thought I was crazy. It was a very difficult habit to break, as the lines between truth and lie were so intertwined that I honestly didn’t know one from the other. I remember when I begin dating my wife, I would tell her stories of my past and then have to be honest and confess that I was unsure of whether or not that story actually happened. I am happy to say that the Lord has taken this horrible weakness and has turned it fully around. Most people who know me would probably say, in fact, that I am too honest. So how did this weakness become a strength? What steps did I have to personally go through to allow the Lord to fix this problem that would have led me down dangerous paths?

1. Submit the problem to God
Acts 3:19
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.”

2. Make a personal decision to change
1 Corinthians 15:34
“Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.”

3. Tell someone of your problem
James 5:16
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

4. Ask for forgiveness to those you have wronged
Matthew 5:23
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

5. When you feel the problem re-growing quickly expose it for others to see
John 3:21
“But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

6. Make it a point to tell others about what God is doing to repair the brokenness
Acts 20:24
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”

7. Be available for God to use your weakness as a strength
Hebrews 11: 32
“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.”

I know that taking these steps may seem more dangerous than the sin that holds you. But I am here to stand in the gap for you. I beg you to not believe that lie. It is only through trusting Jesus and allowing Him to get you on the right path will you find health, wholeness, and maturity. Every other promise that you have heard from this world and the corruption it offers will only lead to destruction and death. The Lord personally gave all that He is to come and give you a chance at life. This life can begin for you today if you are willing to start submitting your daily habits, attitudes, and decisions to Him.

Beyond the Surface

It is incomprehensible that so many people, including myself, have such a difficult time having faith in the Lord and His plans, yet have no problem talking ourselves into whatever lie we want to believe. I was sitting with my wife and kids the other day watching American Idol and was amazed at all of these horrible singers who think they sound great. It was just bad! There were times that I was so embarrassed for the person that I had to stop watching. I then told my wife that at least I am aware that I don’t sing well. If you have been watching American Idol, you are very aware of the pain that is caused by watching these people who are looking in the mirror and not seeing the truth of their situation. The more I have thought about this dilemma, the more I am reminded that each of us do the same thing in different areas of life. Maybe it does not get televised for the whole world to see but do not be misled—the world is watching.

Here are some examples that I have seen in my own life and watched in others, and at times, am still tempted to believe today.

1. “That person needed to hear what I said! They deserved for me to treat them that way!”
How many times do we say things to people out of anger, pride, jealousy, and/or pain and then try to rationalize why it was OK? We have been mandated to not let unwholesome talk come out of our mouths and it seems that, instead of holding to what we have been asked, we find reasons to believe our excuses.

Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

2. “I would forgive them if they just proved to me they are sorry and worthy of forgiveness!”
This is the most unscriptural statement in regards to forgiveness that can be found, but it is a thought that seems to haunt me every day of my life. The Bible is clear that we forgive because Christ forgave us. Not because the other person is deserving, or they have groveled enough, or they have bled enough. Granting forgiveness to others is only possible by someone who truly believes that they have sinned themselves. Once this need for forgiveness is realized it is natural to become thankful for the pardon received and it would be incomprehensible to stand in the way of that same grace and mercy for another. Ouch! I hate writing this stuff sometimes because it is truth but it hurts and I don’t like it…

Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

3. “I don’t need to do it. I can stop whenever I want to!”
One of the first lies that Satan wants you to believe is that you’re strong enough on your own. You can do it and can handle the whole thing because of your amazing strength and skill. What a load of crap! Forgive the French but it makes me angry to see people make these decisions about life on a daily basis and slowly poison themselves to the place of depression and disparity. You cannot stop visiting that Internet site on your own! You will not stop smoking, drinking, or whatever vice you are dealing with because you are a good person and can quit when you want to. If you do not open your heart and get help, you will slowly poison your life, your family, and your relationship with God to the point where the trespass will become your master! No one wants to hear this but it is true.

Isaiah 40:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

4. “What is wrong with flirting? It doesn’t mean anything. And it makes me feel good about myself.”
I am convinced that flirting with sin in any fashion is like playing Russian roulette. You place the bullet in the chamber and are hoping that this time the adrenaline rush feels as good as last time, but pray that the bullet of consequence never shows up to collect its payment for playing the game. I was speaking to a woman the other day about marriage and she was telling me that both her and her husband flirt with people all the time and it is just a fun game they play. The truth of what they are doing is opening their heart up to allow other thoughts and feelings to be planted into the core of who they are, and all it will take is for one of those seeds to take root and the game they play will quickly turn into a nightmare. This flirting problem is not just with the people that surround us but it is with each temptation that we allow into the door of our heart.

Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

5. “I’m a Christian. I mean, I am a good person and I don’t too many bad things.”
This statement has been made by more people than any of us would like to admit. First of all, being a Christian has nothing to do with being the “good person” the world pictures. These days, it seems most people think a good person is one who is open and accepting of whatever lifestyle someone chooses to be. The goodness that scripture refers to has more to do with having the character of God than with getting along with everyone. If you claim to know Jesus and profess that He is your Lord and Savior, then He has commanded that we are His ambassadors-- this is not just a good idea--it is the only idea.

Matthew 19:16-17
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only one who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

Each of these examples gives insight into how easily our hearts can be misled and cause catastrophic damage. We must stop taking deceptive ideas about our lives and our situations and attempt to present them as uncompromised truth. We must drill deeper than the surface of what we have tried to paint ourselves to be and find out what is at the core of our being. Are we truly serving the Lord? Are we walking in forgiveness? Are we protecting our families? Are we being true to what God has called us to be? Or have we taken the ugly truth and rewrapped it with a warped sense of reality to a place that we have personally begun to believe the lies?

If you are not careful, you may find yourself standing before an audience, believing with your whole heart that you are something that you are not. Be true to yourself and what God has made you to be. You will be amazed how fulfilling it is to live a life that has been grounded in a foundation of truth.

Wait.

Psalm 27:13-14
I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

I am finding that there is no other word in our English language that has as much frustration and protection built in to its foundational meaning. For example: It is 7:00 PM and you are hungry! As a family you decide to go out and eat your favorite food at your favorite restaurant. However, when you arrive, you’re faced with a dilemma. They have a 45-minute wait time. Your stomach lurches and groans as you know that if you don’t eat soon then you might fall over and die. You consider going to a different restaurant but your brain kicks in and says you want your favorite and so you will wait. What is 45 minutes anyway? So you sit there looking at your watch waiting for your name to be called. Have you ever noticed that time slows down when you pay too much attention to it? Those 45 minutes seem to be an eternity. You get impatient enough that you even get up after 25 minutes to talk to the host and make sure they have not forgotten about you. You see, we have all been through the waiting game, and we will all have the opportunity to walk through it many more times in this life. But what happens to us when the stakes are larger than just a dinner? What if you are waiting to hear back from a doctor’s test and they say that they will call you next week to let you know if the cancer treatment was a success or not? What if you have been waiting for your child to get home and they are over an hour late and you are unable to get a hold of them? What if that thing you were waiting to hear, to see, or to know could alter your life as you know it? Then we want it now! NOW! NOW! NOW!


Is it me or did I just sound like a child? There is only one being that I have met that seems to enjoy the process of waiting. He is the One that I have entrusted my whole life to and agree to submit to His schedule daily. He is my Lord and Savior. I assure you that His lack of expediency is not meant to frustrate, but it is instead full of teaching and wisdom. So many times He makes us wait because He is protecting us from ourselves. Other times, He is trying to prepare us for what He knows is in our future. I also believe that many times, He is allowing our example of living out life to be a witness for those around us. When those around us see that we have the ability to walk in patience, it gives validity to the faith we profess. It also gives the Lord glory as He unfolds His purposes and plans. How many times have you crossed the street holding a child’s hand and have had to make them wait because it was not yet time to cross the street? If they were to cross when their impulses told them to, it may be the last time they were to ever run again. Well, that is the picture of our Father in Heaven. The next time you are told to wait, don’t get mad and run. Don’t rebel against time and force your way across the street. Simply hold on tight to the hand of your Father, He will guide and protect you.


wait
verb- to stay in one place or do nothing for a period of time until something happens or in the expectation or hope that something will happen
noun- a period of time spent while expecting something to happen


A simple prayer,
Lord help me spend more time worried about holding on to your hand and listening to your voice than trying to figure out why you will not allow me to cross the street. I want my faith to grow but that will only happen if and when I stop trying lead the way. I am called to have faith in you not to talk you into having faith in me. Please forgive my ignorance.

Kristopher

And What Do You Hope For?

“Our problem is not so much that God doesn’t give us what we hope for as it is that we don’t know the right thing for which to hope.” Max Lucado from his book God Came Near

When I first read this statement I did not think that it applied to me. What do I hope for that could be wrong? I pray and hope for good health, financial security, strong relationships with my wife, kids, family and friends. When it comes down to it I guess I hope and pray that I have no problems and anyone I know doesn’t have problems either. That we all can be nice to each other and our surroundings will be comfortable. Are you seeing the problem with what I have been hoping for? What kind of faith will grow inside of me, and those that surround me, if everything is easy and there no challenges that present themselves? I think my hope and prayers have been more of a statement that I would like to retire my faith and stop growing. Why do you think that in places like Sri Lanka that their faith is so strong and those who are Christians tend to see God in a much clearer way than those who live here in the USA? It is due to persecution and hardship! They have to face possible retribution for their faith on a daily basis. I do not know the answer here. No one in their right mind would request for pain and persecution but it also seems to be irresponsible to long for a life that has no personal faith challenges.

For those of you who think eating veal is a crime, I do apologize for this next portion of this weeks teaching but it is a great example of what we pray for, hope for and even sometimes fight for. You see the reason that veal is so tender and succulent to eat is that the cow has been living in a box since it was born and will not have the chance to develop its muscles. It will not have the chance to fall down or trip. Most cows that will be turned into veal will not even have the chance to stand. Don’t judge me but veal does taste good. But as far as cows go it has no strength and every part of its body is underdeveloped. We must make sure that we are taking our faith and getting it outside of the box. It must have a chance to stand, to run, to fall and to possibly trip. If we just leave it all packaged up nicely, like veal, then it will never grow strong.

So should we pray for hard times in this life? Like I said earlier! No one in their right mind would request for pain and persecution but it also seems to be irresponsible to long for a life that has no personal faith challenges.

I appreciate the way that Paul explains his outlook on living life.

Philippians 4:11-13 (New International Version)
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

When it comes down to it they key to having a faith that is going to grow healthy, in God’s time and in His way, is to simply trust God with every detail of life journey and enjoy each part of it as it unfolds before our eyes. Sometimes what may unfold will make you scared, angry, hurt, happy, joyful, or even a mix of all of these emotions. Whatever it is that unfolds we must allow the Lord to use it to strengthen us and strengthen our faith!