“Missions exist because worship doesn’t” John Piper
Every wednesday night the three teams in the house come together and worship as one body. There is power in these nights. There is also power in vulnerability, so last week during worship we did a special activity in order to cultivate a more vulnerable atmosphere. We all were handed the same list of struggles and we were told to circle the ones that we have either struggled with in the past or currently do now. Then they were collected and then redistributed among us. So in my hand I had the list of struggles that some random person in the room struggled with and someone had mine. As each struggle was read allowed, we were told to stand up if it was circled on the paper currently in our hand. This was a beautiful illustration to show that we aren’t alone in our struggles even when we think we are. Satan thrives in secrecy. That is his fortress to tell us lies about who we are and lies that we are alone in our pain. That night Satan’s fortress was torn down and demolished. As we continued in worship, Aaron (one of my teammates) collected all of the papers, ripped them to shreds and recreated them into this:
The beauty is that the Lord gave us Grace through Jesus. Therefore we are not defined by our struggles. We are not tied down to our struggles. I’ve believed for so long that nothing can permanently release me from them. I go through temporary “good phases”, but I tell myself that this freedom won’t last forever. So time and time again I pray to the Lord to free me from my sin and shame. Then I was reminded of some earth-shattering truth: I am free. I have been set free PERMANENTLY. We all have struggles, we all have real struggles, but we are called to walk as though the Cross changed everything. The Cross settled it all. The Cross is the reason we can cross over the sin, over the shame and into utter freedom. Now we just need to walk. We need to walk like we have been radically changed. Walk like we are an overcomer. The Lord has called us to walk like His child: standing tall and head held high! I proclaim this now, but I do remember often times I do not have the strength or confidence to walk in this demeanor. But this week The Lord showed me what I needed, yet again. Oh ain’t he a hoot. Through Ezekiel the Lord showed me that I have His help.
“He said to me, ‘Son of Man stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.’ As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.” Ezekiel 2:1-2.
When I don’t have the strength or confidence to stand tall, the Spirit will raise me up. My helper is here to help, always. The Lord has called me to walk confidently in who I am. I am changed. I am an overcomer. I am His. And so I walk.
