This past week I’ve read two articles, that to be honest, made me angry at Christian community. The articles were about how two people had recently committed suicide. It appeared that in their struggles in life, they got to the point where they couldn’t find one person in their lives to turn to in honesty; no one to turn to for fear of shame, “being found out”, judgment, fear of man, fear of consequences – FEAR & SHAME – or so it appeared.
Then, last night at church a guy named Hunter was preaching and shared another story about how his Dad, who was a pastor, committed suicide. I thought, “ANOTHER person who killed themself???” I felt anger in my heart in that moment and wanted to stand up and shout at the congregation, “If we could only get better at loving people and encouraging honesty! Allow people enough grace to be truthful!”
As the guy kept talking, he started asking a lot of questions like,
- “Do you trust Jesus?
- Do you really know His heart for you?
- Would He ever DEVISE something that’s detrimental or harmful to you?”
The temperament of my heart started shifting.
God’s heart towards me is this: “I LOVE YOU, MY CHILD. I WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU. I WANT TO GIVE YOU LIFE.“
HE WANTS TO GIVE US LIFE.
In our sin, we have to look at God’s heart towards us. He loves me, just as I am (but doesn’t want me to stay stuck in my sin).
1 Peter 5:6-10
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.”
Hunter challenged us and asked, “Do you think you are outside the grace of God? Do you think you can’t share with others? We are NOT outside the reach of God. NEVER. EVER.
I realized last night that my anger toward the Christian community was really my anger or hate towards my own hiding.
I urge you to hate that in yourself too – the desire to hide. Be willing to be the first to “be found out”. We are never outside the grace of God. In fact, sometimes what people need, is to see our weaknesses, not our strengths. “We don’t have time to play games.”
Confess. Turn away from our sin. Be found out. Or else our sin will own us. No more hiding.
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