Strength In Weakness

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, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched 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.”

The idea of allowing God to use the areas that we are most ashamed to glorify Him and bring life instead of death is one of the most bewildering concepts to understand. Where the enemy of your soul would like to bring shackles and tie you down, the Lord plans to use those short comings to set others free from their constraints. The dedication of walking forward in our weakness is not natural. When we are hurt and wounded, whether it was self inflicted or not, most of us would rather curl up in a ball and lick our wounds. Think about it… The Lord longs to take someone who is a thief and use them to bring blessings. He has goals of taking the promise breaker and liar and turning them into a solid example of purity and integrity. Think of the worst sin and pain that you have created and after you are done wanting to hide and cower away, think of how much glory can be brought to the Kingdom of God when He is able to use you in your brokenness to bring life. There are many things in this life that I am ashamed of, and do not like to even think about. The Lord has asked me to not only face those horrible memories of pain, but, to allow him to cleanse them and then use them as a testimony of how great His love is. It has never impressed me to watch someone love a person who is perfect and has it all together. They are loveable! However, it amazes me when someone can look directly into the pit of sin and stench and make a decision to love in spite of everything they are seeing and feeling. That is the love of Christ. He looks even

deeper than the junk that everyone sees and He takes a look at the core of our heart. He looks at our motives. I believe that my motives and attitudes are the sewer pipes of my life. These are areas that I don’t want anyone to see or to know about. The Lord not only sees all of that-- He died for all of that!

Dear Lord,
I thank you for not closing your eyes to my sin but for embracing my sin and loving me for the broken person I am. Thank you for not giving up on me. Please use my life to honor you and help me not run and hide from my past. There are times that I feel if everyone knew what was going on deep down in this prideful heart of mine that they would want to throw stones. Thank you for not throwing stones. Please help those that read this teaching allow you to perform the miracle of taking their brokenness and use it as a guide and a support to help others avoid the same pitfalls. Help them use their failures to bring you glory instead of allowing the enemy of their souls to keep them chained.
Amen

Complete Joy

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.”


Why is it so important to allow others in to see our scars? I call them scars because they have been healed and cared for and although there may still be moments where memories sneak up on you, the pain of the open wound is no longer present. These scars must be shown for three main reasons: 1) To remind yourself of how the Lord has taken your broken self, reassembled your life and given you a future once more. 2) To encourage others and show them that the hands of God are amazingly skilled at the healing process. 3) To worship God.

In 1 John, chapter 1, the scripture is speaking of sharing the wonderful things about the Lord and how, in the end, they do it to make their joy complete. There is something about the dynamic of sharing our life, broken and scarred, with others that will solidify our own personal hope, peace and joy. It reminds me of my relationship with my wife. Over 16 years ago, our friendship began and we fell in love. What if I did not tell anyone of our love for each other? That would have been a short-lived relationship and probably would not have lasted more than a few months. As I tell people about who she is to me, show people her picture, tell of our story and how God is a wonderful guide for our marriage—it is then that what I am saying settles in my heart and begins to cement. Yes, I also have the choice to focus on difficult conversations and desperate times, but why would I want those things to cement and take residence in my heart?

I am here to proclaim to you that God has taken a broken man and is healing him. Where there were wounds, scars are forming. God is taking my life, my marriage, and my family and leading us into a place where we will be more whole than we have ever been before. As I am typing these words, there is a gleam in my eye and a smile on my face. Not because the wounds did not hurt, but because God is amazing and has used the healing process to confirm His hand in my life. I share this with you to make my joy complete.

Thanks for listening…

I challenge you to take a step of faith and share about the scars in your life. I think you will like the results!

Uncovered and Exposed

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."

What is it about darkness and things that are hidden that have so much potential to bring spiritual disease in the life of a believer? I remember one time when my wife and I were in the jungles of Panama and it became necessary to use the restroom. For those who are faint of heart, you may want to skip this part of the story, but the visual is too perfect for what it is we found in the darkness. As it was, my wife was a little frightened to use the restroom because of all of the horrible stories I have told her from around the world. So she already was holding on to my arm to protect her, even though she had no idea what I should had been protecting her from. This particular bathroom was an outhouse and was set back in the jungle a few paces. We had to walk about 100 feet from the room that we were going to be sleeping in that evening. It was dark. Now when I say dark it is a different dark than we experience when we turn the lights out at night. It is the kind of dark when you are in the middle of nowhere and you know you could not turn on the light if you wanted to. Maybe it all is the same in some scientific way but emotionally it is just not the same. So…we take our walk to the bathroom. We walk on boards that create a bridge from where we are at to the small outhouse hut. As we begin walking down the pieced together bridge, I am shining my flashlight all over the place to try and let Melissa see that there is nothing to fear. I was also laughing a lot, but I tried with all of my might to hide my giggles since Melissa felt there was nothing funny at this point. I walked her all the way up to the door, gave her the flashlight and was going to sit in the dark as she took care of the important issues in life. When she opened the door and shined the flashlight inside of the 3x3 hut used for the toilet, there were all sorts of critters trying to escape the light. Some ran down the floorboards and many of them went right down the toilet.

This is where the story ends and my teaching begins. Partly because neither of us had the need to use the restroom for a few days after that and, well, let’s just say that my wife had no intention of stepping foot into that outhouse again for the rest of our stay.

What would happen if we came up to your life? Walked across the bridge that took us to the crap that is hidden in the darkness and shined a bright flashlight revealing the truth about what was hidden behind the secret doors? All of our lies, falsities, broken promises, hellish habits, bad attitudes and anything else you can fill in the blank with, would try to flee. They would run and try to find a new place to hide. This is why once you have decided to submit your life to Christ and allow Him to transform all of you, not just the places that people can see; you must keep the lights on and the doors open. Sometimes, it takes years to convince oneself to allow the Lord, or anyone else for that matter, to know that we even have these dark areas of hidden sin. Once we have them exposed, they do not disappear forever unless we are active at keeping the doors of our outhouses open and the lights on. I am not talking about enough light to meander around the room. I am speaking of the intensity of God’s holy light formed by the presence of the Holy Spirit and God’s word.

My Personal Goal
I hope to live a life that is exposed for all to see. Not just in the areas of public service, but also in my private life. This is a goal for me because I have made a stand in my marriage, to my children, with my friends and to this world, that I am a man who will live for my God. I hope and pray that others can look to each part of my life and have an example of a genuine walk with the Lord. Please do not be confused. There are times when what is exposed is ugly and is crawling with bad attitude. At times my heart is infected with unforgiveness and pride. The example I hope to be for those God has put in my life is that of a real person, with real problems, who really lives for His God. May my ugliest parts of my life forever be exposed and tell the world of God’s love, hope, and grace.

Forgive me...

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

From my earliest recollection of getting in trouble this part of the equation is the worst. It was always so much easier to not have to look into the eyes of the wounded and remind myself how badly the bomb that I dropped hurt them. One of my childhood memories was when I was a young teenager and my brother and I went to a Chucky Cheese all-nighter. It was awesome! They gave us all of the coins we wanted. We ate pizza, drank soda and played video games all night long. I think we were in heaven; except for the fact that this large mouse bigger than my dad, named Chucky was running around the place. I don’t think there will be large creatures like that in heaven. As the sun was rising and we had to start cleaning up our mess, they made an announcement for us to bring all the coins to the front desk and to return them. It was at this point that I knew what I had to do. My brother and I looked at each other and without saying a word we started collecting everyone’s extra coins. I would like to say that we were being helpful, but, in truth we had no intention of giving this treasure back. We stuffed all of these coins into our backpacks so no one would see them, and waited for our parents to pick us up. What an incredible opportunity we had before us. We were going to come back and play as many video games as we wanted. This was when Chucky Cheese had some of the best video games in town. Our plan worked well and we made it all the way home. That is until our mother decided to help us clean out our backpacks; without our permission, I might add. She found this huge stash of coins and started asking us silly questions, like, “Where did you get these?” Well of course we were intelligent enough to come up with a story of how they were extra and they said we could have them. At the time I didn’t realize that my mom was smarter than we were and already knew we were lying. As she called around and found out the truth, we were busted-- which wasn’t that big of a deal, because my brother and I always got into trouble. We would get punished, feel bad, and then life went on. This time was different though-- she went crazy on us! She made us go and meet with our Youth Pastor Rick Ouimet and with the manager of Chucky Cheese and tell them what we had done. I had to face these people with tears flowing down my face and tell them we had stolen at least $500.00 dollars in coins. It is funny because for the life of me I cannot remember what punishment we received from my parents but the scar of having to face those I had wronged has never left me.

So now the questions that we all ask come to the surface… Was it really necessary to go and meet with my pastor and the manager? If the Lord forgives me, why do I have to go back and remind that person of the wrong I have done? Haven’t I already caused enough damage? For sure there is timing in all that we do and depending on the offense maybe it is good to give some space to the wounded. Those details will need to be worked out with much prayer and wisdom. However, in time the Lord will show each of us when the moment has arrived to step up and face the wounds we have created. I assure you that the Lord’s heart for you and me is to find reconciliation with one another. I have to pause right now and become brutally honest with you. There is nothing about this part of the equation that is easy or is possible without strength from God. I do not even like writing this segment of my thoughts down! However, this ingredient of the forgiveness process is crucial- not so God will forgive us, but, it will allow life to flow once more.

Hard Truth #1
If you are the one wounded it is important to find resolve to
avoid bitterness and poison to the soul.

Hard Truth #2
If you are the one who caused the damage, then, before you
can truly move forward and offer all that you are to God, you must
take this final step of humility.

Lord, please help us as we deal with wounds and infections in our hearts. Some of these wounds are self inflicted and some have been caused by the carelessness of others. The cause of the wound will never change the plan you have to make each of us whole and complete once more. Please help us learn how to lay our life before those we have wounded and ask forgiveness and allow us to forgive those who damage us. Not one of us deserves forgiveness, but, you gave your very life to assure that each of us will have the opportunity to find healing and health. Please forgive us for our stubbornness and give us strength to face the unfaceable. Show us how to look past all the pain that we feel to be able to see what you see when you look our way.

I love you. Amen

Confessions...

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.”

Does this scripture apply to you today? Why do we need to confess? Do we confess our sins to each other so the Lord will forgive us? Didn’t Jesus already die for my sins and now nothing can separate me from His Love?

I believe with all of my heart that this scripture is for today as much as it was for the day that James inscribed it on his tablets. However, this scripture was never meant to pertain to forgiveness. It is talking about being healed. Of course the Lord will forgive- it is a promise He has made that was sealed with His very life. Confession is purely for the sinner to find health. If we keep all of our thoughts, ungodly cravings, and temptations to ourselves, it will only be a matter of time until we are not strong enough to withstand the pull of these painful acts. When we take the time to confess what we struggle with, it will invite God’s holiness into the situation; like light into a dark room. This will not be a comfortable transition, but it is a necessary step in fighting the schemes of the Enemy. For a moment, think about those times when you wake up early in the morning. Your eyes have been closed all night and they are used to the darkness. That is, until someone walks in the room and flips on the light. In that moment your brain feels pain and your eyes will wince as they attempt to adjust to the extra doses of light that are present. This is exactly what happens when we begin being honest and confessing our sins. The light is turned on and, though it is a little painful, all can be seen and future problems can be avoided. Can you imagine if you have been living the darkness for more than a night? Imagine it has been 20 years of darkness and now it is time to light up the room. At first, it is going to hurt, but the Lord has a way of taking the pain and bringing comfort in its place. It is through the displaying of who one really is that healing for the soul will take place. Just imagine all of the things you will not have to trip over when you can see where you are walking!

Now a note to the one who just heard the confession…
Let’s say you just sat with your best friend and they confided in you the shortcomings they have struggled with. Some of them may be hurtful towards you or you may find yourself shocked at what is going on beyond the façade that you have watched every day. Your response to the honesty is almost as important as the confession itself. You will need to be honest and upfront about how you feel and what you think. It is at that moment that your chance for honesty has arrived. This is also where forgiveness is looked at and is granted. The miracle of confession does not result in all of the problems disappearing. The result is truth. There still will be temptations and difficulty from day to day. However, the strength of that craving will be much weaker and can be dealt with as you stand with your friend in prayer and support. Too many times people confess sin and it turns into a time of shock, fear and judgment instead of the healing that God intended. If we are honest with ourselves, we will be forced to admit that we are as broken as the person sharing their failures. My encouragement is for you to take the opportunity to be honest yourself about some of your own areas of secrecy and pain.

I encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to show you who you can trust with the real you. This may not be the first person that comes to your mind. Whoever it is that you decide to confide in, bear in mind that it is a priority to share the true you sooner instead of later. The longer you sit in the darkness with your temptation, the more control it will have over you and your loved ones. I have been told that there is an anonymous website out there that allows you to confess things you have done or how you really feel about something but no one needs to know it was from you. This type of web site may be insightful, as it will show you that when we strip away all of the masks that are worn by people every day, we all have the same brokenness inside. We all have the same need for a savior. The problem with this site is that confession only brings health when there is relationship, because relationship will immediately cause accountability and accountability brings health. Take some time today and ask the Lord if there are hidden areas in your life. You may be surprised at what wonderful miracles happen when the truth is told and you are no longer living in the dark.

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.”

The message for this week may seem too simplistic to some but it has served me well for the last 20 years of attempting to live for the Lord. The message is: Stop what you are doing long enough to make a decision of who you want to be. Over the years I have had many people step into my office with problem after problem looking for answers. There are very few of them who considered what it would cost for the changes that needed to take place. They would feel horrible for their sin and walk in depression because of their habits, and due to the pain, decide that changes are necessary. However, those changes meant they would need to shift their daily schedule, alter the people they call friends, and quite possibly do a total 180 degree turn in more than one area of their life. I hope to not distract from the amazing power of God to transform our lives, in order to explain that without making a decision to change, life will continue to spin out of control and eventually will drive you off of a cliff. God has given us this amazing gift, which is truly the most loving present imaginable and quite possibly is also the most dangerous. It is the gift of free will. He will never step in and decide for you what you should do or who you should be. He promises to give you the answers and the strength if you run to Him and submit at His feet. But, He will not force you to do things that should be done. He loves you that much!

So Let’s Take a Closer Look At The Cost Of Change
1. You must be honest with yourself and those around you.
2. You must be wise with you who you allow to speak into your life. People who have walked with you down the wrong roads will always have the chance to bring you down those roads again.
3. You cannot hide your wounds. This does not mean that the whole world needs to know all of your mistakes but it does mean that the right people need to know. Take the time to figure out who those people might be (i.e. your pastor, a counselor, a mentor).
4. Face the consequences. Usually there are consequences for the rebellion that we take part in and true change only will take place as you accept those consequences.
5. Replace the habits with new activities, thoughts and attitudes. The best definition of insanity is when someone repeats the same actions over and over and expects different results.
6. Read your Bible daily! It is a light unto your path. Do not walk in the dark anymore!
7. Allow the Holy Spirit to be your guide. If we submit to the Lord the Holy Spirit is always there to show you the next step. You just have to take the time to listen and be patient for the answers.

I am sure that you will be able to add more practical steps to this list, and I encourage doing so. If you notice on my list of things for you to accomplish, none of the points encourage you to carry the burden or be strong enough on your own. The Lord accepts you just how you are and knows that you are not strong enough to walk on your own. If you will submit to Him your daily life and decisions, then, He will give you the strength to endure through any hardships you will face and He will perform the miracle of transformation.

Submitting 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, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.”

In my last blog entry, I laid out a path to follow when you find yourself going in the wrong direction and have begun to wake up from the seduction of sin to see that you are no longer following the Lord. I plan to take the next 4 weeks to explore each of the milestones along this journey to health and wholeness. Our first stop is quite possibly one of the most difficult—submitting our problems to God. I am not speaking of only a desperate prayer as you are sitting there in the waves of guilt. Many of us have run to God and asked forgiveness only to find ourselves returning to the sin as if it is a drug that controls us. This submission I am referring to has to more to do with allowing Him to begin leading your desires and decisions, than the emotions of anger and guilt that arrive after a sin is committed. If you are not ready to submit your life to God, then, I am sorry to say, you are not ready for change. Scripture is very clear regarding the idea of us being a slave to sin or to the Lord:

Romans 6:16-18
Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Here are a few very practical steps to take to submit your life to the Lord.
1. Give Him Your Daily Schedule
This may sound like a strange way to begin, but most of us are ruled by what others believe we should be doing, or by all of the commitments we have that should not have been piled on top of each other in the first place. If Satan, the enemy of your soul, can keep you so busy that your life is spinning faster than you can run, then he has access to wreak havoc in any area of your life that suits him.

2. Give Him Your Words
Focus on what you are saying to others. Listen to the jokes that are shared, the tone of your voice, your attitude, and all of those moments of complaining. Our mouths become poison for the rest of our being once it has been corrupted.

3. Find a Daily Devotional
The one mistake that many people make is in deciding to submit their lives to God, but never feeding that desire with the Word of God. Don’t feel like you have to go and join a Bible study that requires hours of study to keep up with it. Simply find a daily devotional that you can easily read on a daily basis and make it a priority.

4. Be Careful What You Are Feeding Your Sinful Nature
This is probably one of the most difficult things for each of us to know where to draw a line in the sand. We can not hide ourselves away in a cave and avoid everything that might tempt us in the wrong direction; yet we must separate ourselves from the ongoing ideas of sin. You will need to run to the Lord and ask Him for daily guidance on what areas of temptation should be avoided.

This week we discussed the importance of submitting to the Lord. Next week we will discuss the importance of making a personal decision to change. My encouragement to you is to not get frustrated and give up. It is too easy to feel overwhelmed by the chasm of where you are and where you know you need to be. In those times of desperation, instead of running to the vices that have created your dilemma, I pray that you will run to the Lord and His truth.