That's a good question ... most are. We are often rich in logic and intelligent thought when it comes to advice for others but fall short when it comes to our own lives. There is a reason for it. God looked at creation and, seeing man as He made him, He knew man was never going to cut it on our own.
Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone..."
See the fact is that we need each other. Our bodies significantly increase the production of healing hormones that allow sicknesses and ailments within our bodies to be healed just by being in a positive social climate.
Here's the thing, God teaches us through the Bible to bring our weaknesses and failures out into the open.
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Mar 4:22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.
Eph 5:13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
Cleaning the junk out of the closet of your soul will do a couple of things for you.
1st. It frees you from guilt. We devalue our worth to the kingdom every time we repeat the sin cycle. We doubt whether God will truly turn His face towards us again. We accept the belief that we have tarnished the perfection of the cross beyond repair. We fall into this spiral where we accept that we need a grace but believe we are slowly disqualifying ourselves for it.
2nd. It frees you from condemnation from Satan. He is called the accuse of the brethren (Rev 12). It's interesting to me that the "father of all lies" and "tempter" sets himself completely to causing our failure through temptation, then throws it in our face repeatedly (especially when we are trying to move in some form of ministry).
Face it, we keep our personal failures a secret for several "noble" reasons. We don't want to dump on people who have their own problems. We don't want to tarnish the images people have made of God through us. We don't want to suffer the consequences of people finding out and facing the consequences of their reactions to our failures. We believe that God is taking us through something and that we will eventually beat it. But it's a lie ... part of the lie that keeps God's people in bondage. God doesn't cause His children to sin. He never brings sin into a believers life to accomplish anything in us...but He is the Master of all.
One of my mentors, David Rodriguez (Christian Fellowship Church), often reminded me that though God was not the Author of all, He was the Master of all. God is not the Author of sin in our lives, but He is the Master of it!
Rom 14:4 Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
1Pe 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
As humans, we are bound in the environments where that which binds us grows the strongest. One would be a fool to go to a casino to find freedom from gambling. The same would be for the person who goes to strip clubs to find freedom from lustful thoughts. Apply that logic to anything that attacks in secret ... the things we are most ashamed of ... they grow kept in secret! The very decision that we make to protect others from the fallout of our weakness empowers it to be even stronger.
The very act of bringing our deepest secrets and failures to the light is the most powerful move we can make in finding deliverance. Until this step, we are blackmailed by the enemy every time we move. Sure, we have our victories ... our triumphant moments, but they are all on a leash that he is holding. We are slaves to our own failures, even though Christ has said "no more do I condemn you..."
I'm not saying to tell anybody and everybody your business, but I am saying that you have to search out that person or small group that you can be safe to be you in. I have it .... we all need it.
So it's an old sin? That's like a choice liquor...only growing stronger. Find a pastor, a minster, a parent, a mature family member (in Christ), a counselor, a mentor ... someone who will not add to your shame but help you find freedom through it. I do advise that you do not find a peer as an accountability figure ... people in the same phase of life can offer us no proven guidance.
What if they tell others? Well, it happened to me. I told two people the deepest pains of my heart. One spread it like wild fire, the other tried to take advantage of me (a very stupid and not well thought out decision). I was humiliated, and like the game of telephone, the facts were greatly distorted. Those that mattered, didn't mind or care. Those that didn't matter, tried to do what they do. But I am going to tell you that I found the greatest gift of all through it ... freedom. Even if it was delivered on the back of embarrassment. I could no longer be blackmailed ... everyone knew. God knew ... and He was not ashamed.
That's what you need. If you have to lose everything to find it, do it. You will find in that moment that everything you need lies inside of that freedom. The enemy can't blackmail you with what your King has already pardoned you for!
That's my take!!!
Questions??
Don't be confused. LEARN STUFF!!!
Ask your question, go to http://www.patrickhazard.com/ask-the-haz.html and fill in the question box!!!
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Since I was on a social media hiatus at the time, I want to congratulate you on your celebrity status earlier this summer. You officiated the wedding well.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your post, and I was struck by the comment , "cleaning the junk out of the closet of your soul" . There is a fabulous woman's study titled "Me, Myself, & Lies. A thought closet makeover" written by Jennifer Rothschild
Through this study, with the application of scripture, Jennifer takes on the task of teaching us what to keep and what to throw out. She also teaches what to listen to and what to ignore or sometimes battle and fight off. Every suggestion she poses is backed up with scripture. It's a great resource for anyone asking the question concerning sins from the past . The enemy, in his schemes, wants us to dwell on our past mistakes and sins. He's just like anyone else who knows which buttons to push. However, as you've mentioned above about confessing, praying, and healing (James) are the weapons we must use against the enemy and his blackmailing. I can only imagine how much his cage gets rattled when we choose to stand on God's promises and refuse to allow him the satisfaction of another moment of keeping us in bondage. Sometimes it's just necessary to verbally announce that we've allowed Jesus to come in, therefore he is no longer welcomed here!!!
The enemy's strategies always involve getting trapped in the past so the believer can be deprived of the future that God is intending.
ReplyDeleteI must get my hands on that book. Great comments as always 'anonymous' ... glad your back from your hiatus
God teaches us to learn from the past, but to let go of it ... to move forward ... to eagerly look for what is coming while we grow where we are currently. The past cannot be changed, it can only be learned from!
ReplyDeleteI meant to say that before!
I did that study during the summer of 2009. I couldn't put it down, I could barely wait for the next day to see the next lesson. I even brought it with me on a summer trip. While everyone was swimming in the resort pool, I was in my chair with my Bible, book, and pen. I cannot put into words how much I've grown since diligently completing that book. It did wonders for my self esteem as well as my level of confidence. I don't mean to 'plug' this book, but I think it works well with the current blog question. We cannot let the enemy win. He attempts to battle with us at our every move. We have the tools to win, but we must know how to use them. By the way, a copy of the book is on its way. Hope y'all enjoy! :)
ReplyDeleteWell ... anonymous ... can't wait to read it! I believe in plugging stuff that's worth plugging. I don't and won't sell adds on my page bc I don't want the readers plagued with adds. I also pay to own the site completely so they can't add them to my site. But, I want everyone to know what's good out there. So plug on. Free advertisement??? I don't care. It's ministry ... it's resources ... it's allowing people the opportunity to quickly get at what they need. Chances are the writers of that book will never know we plugged it on this side. Feel free!
ReplyDeleteTo get straight to the book, copy and paste the following link in your browser.
http://www.jenniferrothschild.com/store/product.php?productid=69
Thanks for the comments!
Hey Patrick,
ReplyDeleteHave you got your share from Lendee.gov?
Yeah right ... I don't imaging that borrower will return any money owed any time soon ... but tax season cometh!
ReplyDelete