Today, I wanted to share a little story/testimony I sorta "stumbled upon" illustrating the love and faithfulness of God. Good reminder, too, of the sovereignty of God to use even tough or tragic things in life for our ultimate good.
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There once was a little girl we'll call "Amelia." Now, Amelia was raised in a loving, godly home, had a cheery disposition, a vivid imagination, and an interest in almost everything. But, sadly, Amelia had been born a little..."different." Among other things, this led to her feeling very, very isolated in her heart. For as long as she could remember, deep down Amelia had felt a sucking loneliness and sense that, no matter where she went, she just didn't "belong." But none of it really made sense to her, so she went on with her life, melancholy all the time, absolutely miserable sometimes, and distancing herself from reality as much as possible. By the time she was 12, she'd decided that she would never find a soulmate, someone who fit the weirdly shaped puzzle piece of her heart. By the time she was 13, she'd figured out that she could at least snag a few friends that were sorta-close if she made herself something she…wasn't exactly. But even then, her best friends were the friends in her head and she wished more than anything she could live with them. By the time she was 14, the games she'd tried playing a couple years had fallen apart and only made her more miserable.
So that lonely little girl, who could never find her place in life, got angry at God--angry that He'd never been there for her, angry at everyone for telling her that a relationship with God could be deep like love when obviously that wasn't happening, even though she'd "said the prayer" when she was little and read her Bible and knew so much about Him. She told Him He'd have to come find her if He was there and wanted her, 'cause she sure's heck wasn't going to hurt herself looking for Him any more.
Fortunately for Amelia, God took her up on the challenge. Soon after that, He gave her something she'd always thought was impossible: a soulmate. And for the first time in her life, she wasn't lonely deep down any more. Without the loneliness always bogging her down, she began to change slowly. She dropped many of the games she'd played, because, for the first time, she felt comfortable just being herself. She even began to peek out at reality and think that, maybe, it wasn't such a horrible place after all. After a couple months had passed, she even began to reconsider her idea of God and her heart began to soften towards Him. Since her soulmate seemed to know Him and love Him--and wasn't just one of "those people" who were hyped about God but never understood her--she thought that, maybe, it was possible to really know and love Him after all. That maybe God would accept her as-is and be her friend, too. For the first time in her life she was really, truly happy and hopeful about life.
But then, just as things were the best they'd ever been for Amelia… God took away that soulmate. It shattered her--the one person who'd ever made her life a really bright, happy place, ripped away from her. It seemed to her that, just as she'd feared, she was destined to be lonely forever. But, thankfully, God had drawn her to Himself enough so that, instead of falling into a loneliness worse than she'd ever felt before, she finally saw Him… saw how wrong she'd been all those years, and saw that He was her ultimate soulmate. And thus, she began a relationship with Him that quickly became more precious to her than anything else on Earth and, eventually, made her world a bright place again. The lonely little girl had finally found the Lover of her soul.
Now, typically this is where the "and they lived happily ever after" would go. Unfortunately, coming to God didn't instantly put her shattered heart back together. The next two years of her life were the hardest she'd ever endured, in which her newfound relationship with Christ was severely tested and refined. But, thankfully, the story ends, not with a "happily ever after," but with the blessed assurance that, even though her road may be marked out as a lonely one, she will always have at least one companion close by her side, for the Lover of her soul walks with her now, and always.
---
"Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Thee." ~Saint Augustine
Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we've come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say…
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, you are faithful
Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we'll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful.
~"Never Once," Matt Redman
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Peace... as a weapon?
Well, this week there's been a lot on my mind--a lot to make me anxious when I let it. And in addition to that, we had an outreach Bible study at our house last night that the enemy was very obviously trying to stop. Today, I've seen evidence of spiritual attack on two different fronts--one personal against me, one against the family in general. So as soon as I could, I got outside to pray and just fellowship with God. And as I was bringing all this before Him, He told me something very interesting that I wanna share with anyone who reads this:
"Peace is your strength. It is your weapon against the Enemy."
Me being me, my reply was something like "howzzat?" I mean, really, nobody thinks of peace as a weapon! But then I started really thinking about it (and praying for explanation ;) ). For one, peace brings us hope, which gives us strength. That part made sense. True peace is the result of a strong faith in and reliance on God--taking Him at His word and living out that trust. In Ephesians 6, we're told that faith is our shield against the fiery darts of the enemy.
Seems to me that peace is both the fruit of that faith and protection in and of itself. Bear with me as I try to explain (it's often hard for me to put into words the things that God just sorta teaches my heart). X) First, the Enemy's prime weapons:
1) Deception. This is his number one tool because it works so stinkin' well. Christians fall prey to it all the time. It is extremely versatile and extremely effective. Every other of his weapons must necessarily stem from deception. Jesus says He is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life. If Satan can steer us away from the truth, he has some wiggle room in our lives.
2) Fear. This weapon can be everything from the various manifestations of evil that we often think of when we think "The Enemy," to fearing what others think of us, or anxious thoughts. Fear necessarily means focusing on the object of fear--and if that object is not God, it normally means that, albeit subconsciously, one is viewing that object as bigger than God. Fear erodes our faith. For this reason, God says we are to fear Him and Him alone.
3) Pride. This was what caused Satan's fall from heaven in the first place, I might note. If the enemy can get us focused on ourselves in pride, we won't be focusing on God and therefore will be pretty easy targets. I should note, too, that pride does not only mean "arrogance." Self-pity and self-deprecation/false humility are forms of pride as well.
Obviously, the enemy has many tactics, but they pretty much all stem from one or the other of those three. Now…think about peace (true peace--from God) in relation to each of those weapons. I think these two verses about peace (or "being still") easily show its power against those weapons:
"“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalm 46:10-11 ("know that I am God"… there goes Deception, Fear, and Pride all in one!)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:6-7
This works offensively-speaking as well: when our souls are at peace before God, simply resting in the knowledge of who He is… we are strong. Our warfare will be stronger, bolder, and more effective because our hearts cannot be fearful or striving when we are at peace. They will not be vulnerable to the enemy, because they are basking in the knowledge of who He is and the strength of trusting Him. They will be strong in the joy of the Lord, ready to stand firm and storm the gates of Hell if need be.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27
"Peace is your strength. It is your weapon against the Enemy."
Me being me, my reply was something like "howzzat?" I mean, really, nobody thinks of peace as a weapon! But then I started really thinking about it (and praying for explanation ;) ). For one, peace brings us hope, which gives us strength. That part made sense. True peace is the result of a strong faith in and reliance on God--taking Him at His word and living out that trust. In Ephesians 6, we're told that faith is our shield against the fiery darts of the enemy.
Seems to me that peace is both the fruit of that faith and protection in and of itself. Bear with me as I try to explain (it's often hard for me to put into words the things that God just sorta teaches my heart). X) First, the Enemy's prime weapons:
1) Deception. This is his number one tool because it works so stinkin' well. Christians fall prey to it all the time. It is extremely versatile and extremely effective. Every other of his weapons must necessarily stem from deception. Jesus says He is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life. If Satan can steer us away from the truth, he has some wiggle room in our lives.
2) Fear. This weapon can be everything from the various manifestations of evil that we often think of when we think "The Enemy," to fearing what others think of us, or anxious thoughts. Fear necessarily means focusing on the object of fear--and if that object is not God, it normally means that, albeit subconsciously, one is viewing that object as bigger than God. Fear erodes our faith. For this reason, God says we are to fear Him and Him alone.
3) Pride. This was what caused Satan's fall from heaven in the first place, I might note. If the enemy can get us focused on ourselves in pride, we won't be focusing on God and therefore will be pretty easy targets. I should note, too, that pride does not only mean "arrogance." Self-pity and self-deprecation/false humility are forms of pride as well.
Obviously, the enemy has many tactics, but they pretty much all stem from one or the other of those three. Now…think about peace (true peace--from God) in relation to each of those weapons. I think these two verses about peace (or "being still") easily show its power against those weapons:
"“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalm 46:10-11 ("know that I am God"… there goes Deception, Fear, and Pride all in one!)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:6-7
This works offensively-speaking as well: when our souls are at peace before God, simply resting in the knowledge of who He is… we are strong. Our warfare will be stronger, bolder, and more effective because our hearts cannot be fearful or striving when we are at peace. They will not be vulnerable to the enemy, because they are basking in the knowledge of who He is and the strength of trusting Him. They will be strong in the joy of the Lord, ready to stand firm and storm the gates of Hell if need be.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
My Two Cents Worth: Love n' Marriage
Okay, so it's the day after Valentine's Day (insert dreamy batting of the eyes here… heehee). And so I'm falling to the temptation to put in my two cents worth about love and such things. Bear with me… or stop reading. Either way. ;)
I noted an interesting fact yesterday when we were handing out family valentines. If you fold a heart in half and turn it upside down, it's a teardrop. That's very appropriate, as I see it. Not to sound cynical, but if you really, deeply love another human being, at some point or another, you will be really, deeply hurt. 'Cause no matter what the songs say, true love doesn't guarantee an emotional rose garden.
But as I see it, what matters isn't having no problems… what matters is what you do with the problems. Do you work through them together and let it make the love stronger, or do you let things fester and erode the love? I've observed too many instances where this happens (in any sort of human relationship)--hurt, miscommunications, and other problems aren't dealt with. There is too little forgiveness, and far too little good, humble communication about hurts, feelings, issues. Short of a lot of work and divine intervention, these couples--once "in looooove"--often end up hating each other if the lack of communication goes on long enough.
It's really sad. But on the other side, there are couples who understand that marriage isn't a "s/he makes me feel wonderful therefore I must be with him/her forever and happily ever after!" They know that marriage is about being a team, being one, even when emotions aren't warm and fuzzy. They know that marriage will be heaven sometimes, and there will be times it feels like hell… and it's how the couple handles the hell times that will define how they make it. Will they be proud or humble? Unforgiving or forgiving? Selfish or selfless? Clam up, refuse to speak, or discuss problems? From what I understand as a marriage counselor's kid: if both parties are committed to loving each other selflessly, serving each other, and tackling/overcoming their problems and their desires, the marriage WILL be a happy one.
My point is this: love isn't about pink hearts, roses, chocolate, romantic words and gestures. It's about a mutual commitment: with you, for better or worse, heaven or hell, 'til the day I die. It's about mutual selflessness: I regard you as more important than myself. It's about mutual hard work: I'm gonna see that this thing stays strong and beautiful to the end, no matter what. It's about humility before God and each other. That's the love that works. That's the love that's true and that will make a marriage beautiful and powerful. And it takes a helluva lot of work.
And this is a bit of an aside but, from all I've learned from my parents and others, I still have this unanswered question about love: in the real world, is there (or can there be) such a thing as a "one true love"? (Before you're married/engaged) And I do mean "one"… as in "this is the man/woman for me and there's no one else"… even if you never get to marry that person or one or the other of you dies? A love that says "I'd rather die than live without her/him." (why yes, I am a hopeless romantic writer, how'd you guess? XD) Or is that thing reserved for stories and anyone who says they have a "one true love" they're willing to wait forever for is just kinda stupid and obsessive and needs to build a bridge and get over it? "There are other fish in the sea; you'll find someone else" and all that. Are they being "sinful" to wait? Foolish to hope? Taking things out of God's hands?
None of those rhetorical questions, btw. I don't think I know the answer yet. Just a little tricky tidbit to keep any other hopeless romantics up at night (I can see you now… "oh dangit, now she's got me wondering too!") XD Maybe I just think too much in terms of stories, or maybe love isn't always as cut and dried as some people would like to make it. And then again, if a recurring theme runs through all great stories, legends, and myths throughout the ages, I tend to think there's gotta be truth there, somewhere. Ah well. I wonder if many people have pondered this in this "convenience romance" day and age where loyalty means very little and people seem unwilling to put up with rejection/hurt/waiting for very long with no reward. But hopefully I'll learn the answer someday, one way or another, whatever the answer is. 'Til then I guess I'll just enjoy songs like "Somewhere, Somehow." (yes, one of my very favs--I told you I'm a hopeless romantic, didn't I?) X) ;P
And there. Valentine's Day 2012, you have been done justice by this rambling blogger. The end. ^____^
I noted an interesting fact yesterday when we were handing out family valentines. If you fold a heart in half and turn it upside down, it's a teardrop. That's very appropriate, as I see it. Not to sound cynical, but if you really, deeply love another human being, at some point or another, you will be really, deeply hurt. 'Cause no matter what the songs say, true love doesn't guarantee an emotional rose garden.
But as I see it, what matters isn't having no problems… what matters is what you do with the problems. Do you work through them together and let it make the love stronger, or do you let things fester and erode the love? I've observed too many instances where this happens (in any sort of human relationship)--hurt, miscommunications, and other problems aren't dealt with. There is too little forgiveness, and far too little good, humble communication about hurts, feelings, issues. Short of a lot of work and divine intervention, these couples--once "in looooove"--often end up hating each other if the lack of communication goes on long enough.
It's really sad. But on the other side, there are couples who understand that marriage isn't a "s/he makes me feel wonderful therefore I must be with him/her forever and happily ever after!" They know that marriage is about being a team, being one, even when emotions aren't warm and fuzzy. They know that marriage will be heaven sometimes, and there will be times it feels like hell… and it's how the couple handles the hell times that will define how they make it. Will they be proud or humble? Unforgiving or forgiving? Selfish or selfless? Clam up, refuse to speak, or discuss problems? From what I understand as a marriage counselor's kid: if both parties are committed to loving each other selflessly, serving each other, and tackling/overcoming their problems and their desires, the marriage WILL be a happy one.
My point is this: love isn't about pink hearts, roses, chocolate, romantic words and gestures. It's about a mutual commitment: with you, for better or worse, heaven or hell, 'til the day I die. It's about mutual selflessness: I regard you as more important than myself. It's about mutual hard work: I'm gonna see that this thing stays strong and beautiful to the end, no matter what. It's about humility before God and each other. That's the love that works. That's the love that's true and that will make a marriage beautiful and powerful. And it takes a helluva lot of work.
And this is a bit of an aside but, from all I've learned from my parents and others, I still have this unanswered question about love: in the real world, is there (or can there be) such a thing as a "one true love"? (Before you're married/engaged) And I do mean "one"… as in "this is the man/woman for me and there's no one else"… even if you never get to marry that person or one or the other of you dies? A love that says "I'd rather die than live without her/him." (why yes, I am a hopeless romantic writer, how'd you guess? XD) Or is that thing reserved for stories and anyone who says they have a "one true love" they're willing to wait forever for is just kinda stupid and obsessive and needs to build a bridge and get over it? "There are other fish in the sea; you'll find someone else" and all that. Are they being "sinful" to wait? Foolish to hope? Taking things out of God's hands?
None of those rhetorical questions, btw. I don't think I know the answer yet. Just a little tricky tidbit to keep any other hopeless romantics up at night (I can see you now… "oh dangit, now she's got me wondering too!") XD Maybe I just think too much in terms of stories, or maybe love isn't always as cut and dried as some people would like to make it. And then again, if a recurring theme runs through all great stories, legends, and myths throughout the ages, I tend to think there's gotta be truth there, somewhere. Ah well. I wonder if many people have pondered this in this "convenience romance" day and age where loyalty means very little and people seem unwilling to put up with rejection/hurt/waiting for very long with no reward. But hopefully I'll learn the answer someday, one way or another, whatever the answer is. 'Til then I guess I'll just enjoy songs like "Somewhere, Somehow." (yes, one of my very favs--I told you I'm a hopeless romantic, didn't I?) X) ;P
And there. Valentine's Day 2012, you have been done justice by this rambling blogger. The end. ^____^
Friday, February 3, 2012
Forgotten
"Disclaimer": This topic is one particularly near and dear to my heart, as God has given me an intense love for the brokenest people and, I believe, is calling me to minister long-term to them. I'm currently working in a pro-life crisis pregnancy center, and will, Lord-willing, this summer (and possibly for a whole year) go to be trained and work at a rehab facility in New Hampshire that helps heal people with drug abuse, sexual addictions and trauma, depression disorders, psychological disorders and eating disorders. So pardon me if I get a little heated, 'cause I'm passionate about this subject. X) Comments welcome, tho'.---
They're "those people." The kind of people you hear about and give a little shudder. People with inner demons, people with a dark, ugly past and a future that looks to be about the same, "untouchables:" Drug or sex addicts. Prostitutes. Porn stars. The psychologically ill*. Depressed people. Suicidal people. The self-harmers. The "freaks."
I call them "the forgotten." They're the ones Christians, on the whole, seem to've forgotten about. They're the "sinners." They're the ones you can't seem to witness successfully to. Unrepentant, we say--entrenched in their life of sin. They are the ones with deep darkness in their hearts of one kind or another, unwilling to leave their darkness, it would seem. So, on the whole, we write them off. Even if we don't entirely mean to… it seems we almost unconsciously block them out of our mind as dirty, disgusting people we should take warning from and be glad we're not.
When it comes to the homosexuality debate, we're quick to say "we're to love the sinner and hate the sin!" … but it seems to me that we're not so quick to look past the sins of other people trapped in what we call a "gross" sin. If we did, if we really tried to see the hearts living in the deepest darkness, the strongest bondage like Jesus sees them… what we'd find would break our hearts.
These people believe themselves to be unloveable and worthless. Their hearts and lives are shattered by years of pain and sin--both their own and the sins of others against them. They have no hope. They are trapped in iron chains of deception, guilt, and sin, wrapped around the enemy's finger. If there is a God, they think, He certainly couldn't love me. Their hearts are bitter and hard against God and humanity. They think they're beyond hope of salvation, of anything better than what they have.
They're not. And my heart's desire is to show them that. God's love for them is so immense. He died to make them valuable, and they don't know it! But you can't just walk into a brothel and preach the Gospel with much success, so to speak. Those who try will most likely be disappointed in their efforts and write it off on "the sinners." There are so many layers of deception, of sin, of depression, pain, and, often enough, demonic oppression, that it will take a lot of work to truly see these people set free from the bondage of the enemy.
And what these hearts need first and foremost is LOVE. Not all the right Bible verses, not optimistic truisms, not even "if you'd only trust Jesus…" Truth goes with love, absolutely, I'm not saying it's not important, here. But what these people tend to get is "You're a sinner. Your sin is disgusting to God. Leave your life of sin. [insert Gospel presentation.] God will set you free and heal all your hurts and you'll live happily ever after. [exit Christian]" … it doesn't quite work that way. If we remember how Jesus handled it, that's not what we'll see. In Jesus, it looked more like this:
1) He SHOWED the sinner he loved them, that he cared for them, that they weren't worthless or unloveable. That they weren't scarred beyond any chance at beauty. That they weren't broken beyond any chance at being whole. His love gave them hope, and hope is something these people desperately need.
2) THEN Jesus went on to say "Go, and sin no more."
And, most importantly, it takes STICKING WITH IT. Love does not fail, but it takes strong, tenacious love. Love that says "you're worthwhile to God, and so you're worthwhile to me. And I'm going to keep on loving you no matter what you do, even if you hurt me or experience failure again and again. I'm not letting go, because God's not letting go." It'll take getting your hands dirty in the Lord's work. It'll take getting your heart broken. It'll take a great amount of emotional strain and frustration to love someone who's broken. But the love of Christ is the only thing that will set these people free from their sin and bondage and pain. And we're the only way they're going to SEE the love of Christ! If we don't live that love to them… they'll never see it, short of divine intervention.
… now, I've talked primarily about unbelievers in this one. But, really, a lot of the same applies to people in the church. Even Christians can live in continual defeat from the Enemy if they're not secure in their identity in Christ… especially if they were deeply wounded or were in a lot of sin before they came to Christ. These Christians, especially ones who struggle with depressions or other psychological problems*, are often misunderstood and judged by well-meaning people who don't understand the power of past hurt or the role of the enemy in oppressing even the believer. Hurting brothers and sisters don't need Bible verses shoved in their face. They don't need to be told "if you only really trusted Jesus this wouldn't be happening." They need someone to see past the surface and see the hurting heart. Someone to display Christ's love. Someone who says "hey, it's going to be okay--I'll stay here with you 'til the nightmare is over. It's gonna be a little tricky, and you'll hafta work with me, but in our God there is healing and restoration and glory, so I'm not leaving 'til you're living in the peace and freedom he has for you." Warning: it's not easy to do that. Most hurting people are very hesitant to let people in… in fact, will often try their darndest to keep people out and put on a very tough front. But that's no excuse not to love them.
Neil T. Anderson is my absolute favorite author on the subject of believers struggling with past bondage and seemingly having no victory… I highly recommend that everyone read his books "Victory Over the Darkness" and "Bondage Breaker." Lots of compassion, lots of truth. Helped me tremendously in dealing with my own struggles and hurts.
So yeah, sorry that was kind of a rant, but I think it's an important truth the church as a whole needs to realize:
BROKEN, "DIRTY" PEOPLE ARE NOT BEYOND THE REACH OF THE GOSPEL. … they merely require more work, more time, more sacrificial love, more tenacity than other "groups" of people. But I firmly believe that if the Christ-follower will pour him/herself out to the broken in love and service and prayer… God will come through and do amazing things to reach His lost lambs.
---
*though I contend that a spiritual cause/factor is inherent and central in every case of "psychological illness", therefore every case is, theoretically, curable. Comment if you wanna hear my thoughts on that… or better yet, read Dr. Neil Anderson's book "Discipleship Counseling." X)
They're "those people." The kind of people you hear about and give a little shudder. People with inner demons, people with a dark, ugly past and a future that looks to be about the same, "untouchables:" Drug or sex addicts. Prostitutes. Porn stars. The psychologically ill*. Depressed people. Suicidal people. The self-harmers. The "freaks."
I call them "the forgotten." They're the ones Christians, on the whole, seem to've forgotten about. They're the "sinners." They're the ones you can't seem to witness successfully to. Unrepentant, we say--entrenched in their life of sin. They are the ones with deep darkness in their hearts of one kind or another, unwilling to leave their darkness, it would seem. So, on the whole, we write them off. Even if we don't entirely mean to… it seems we almost unconsciously block them out of our mind as dirty, disgusting people we should take warning from and be glad we're not.
When it comes to the homosexuality debate, we're quick to say "we're to love the sinner and hate the sin!" … but it seems to me that we're not so quick to look past the sins of other people trapped in what we call a "gross" sin. If we did, if we really tried to see the hearts living in the deepest darkness, the strongest bondage like Jesus sees them… what we'd find would break our hearts.
These people believe themselves to be unloveable and worthless. Their hearts and lives are shattered by years of pain and sin--both their own and the sins of others against them. They have no hope. They are trapped in iron chains of deception, guilt, and sin, wrapped around the enemy's finger. If there is a God, they think, He certainly couldn't love me. Their hearts are bitter and hard against God and humanity. They think they're beyond hope of salvation, of anything better than what they have.
They're not. And my heart's desire is to show them that. God's love for them is so immense. He died to make them valuable, and they don't know it! But you can't just walk into a brothel and preach the Gospel with much success, so to speak. Those who try will most likely be disappointed in their efforts and write it off on "the sinners." There are so many layers of deception, of sin, of depression, pain, and, often enough, demonic oppression, that it will take a lot of work to truly see these people set free from the bondage of the enemy.
And what these hearts need first and foremost is LOVE. Not all the right Bible verses, not optimistic truisms, not even "if you'd only trust Jesus…" Truth goes with love, absolutely, I'm not saying it's not important, here. But what these people tend to get is "You're a sinner. Your sin is disgusting to God. Leave your life of sin. [insert Gospel presentation.] God will set you free and heal all your hurts and you'll live happily ever after. [exit Christian]" … it doesn't quite work that way. If we remember how Jesus handled it, that's not what we'll see. In Jesus, it looked more like this:
1) He SHOWED the sinner he loved them, that he cared for them, that they weren't worthless or unloveable. That they weren't scarred beyond any chance at beauty. That they weren't broken beyond any chance at being whole. His love gave them hope, and hope is something these people desperately need.
2) THEN Jesus went on to say "Go, and sin no more."
And, most importantly, it takes STICKING WITH IT. Love does not fail, but it takes strong, tenacious love. Love that says "you're worthwhile to God, and so you're worthwhile to me. And I'm going to keep on loving you no matter what you do, even if you hurt me or experience failure again and again. I'm not letting go, because God's not letting go." It'll take getting your hands dirty in the Lord's work. It'll take getting your heart broken. It'll take a great amount of emotional strain and frustration to love someone who's broken. But the love of Christ is the only thing that will set these people free from their sin and bondage and pain. And we're the only way they're going to SEE the love of Christ! If we don't live that love to them… they'll never see it, short of divine intervention.
… now, I've talked primarily about unbelievers in this one. But, really, a lot of the same applies to people in the church. Even Christians can live in continual defeat from the Enemy if they're not secure in their identity in Christ… especially if they were deeply wounded or were in a lot of sin before they came to Christ. These Christians, especially ones who struggle with depressions or other psychological problems*, are often misunderstood and judged by well-meaning people who don't understand the power of past hurt or the role of the enemy in oppressing even the believer. Hurting brothers and sisters don't need Bible verses shoved in their face. They don't need to be told "if you only really trusted Jesus this wouldn't be happening." They need someone to see past the surface and see the hurting heart. Someone to display Christ's love. Someone who says "hey, it's going to be okay--I'll stay here with you 'til the nightmare is over. It's gonna be a little tricky, and you'll hafta work with me, but in our God there is healing and restoration and glory, so I'm not leaving 'til you're living in the peace and freedom he has for you." Warning: it's not easy to do that. Most hurting people are very hesitant to let people in… in fact, will often try their darndest to keep people out and put on a very tough front. But that's no excuse not to love them.
Neil T. Anderson is my absolute favorite author on the subject of believers struggling with past bondage and seemingly having no victory… I highly recommend that everyone read his books "Victory Over the Darkness" and "Bondage Breaker." Lots of compassion, lots of truth. Helped me tremendously in dealing with my own struggles and hurts.
So yeah, sorry that was kind of a rant, but I think it's an important truth the church as a whole needs to realize:
BROKEN, "DIRTY" PEOPLE ARE NOT BEYOND THE REACH OF THE GOSPEL. … they merely require more work, more time, more sacrificial love, more tenacity than other "groups" of people. But I firmly believe that if the Christ-follower will pour him/herself out to the broken in love and service and prayer… God will come through and do amazing things to reach His lost lambs.
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*though I contend that a spiritual cause/factor is inherent and central in every case of "psychological illness", therefore every case is, theoretically, curable. Comment if you wanna hear my thoughts on that… or better yet, read Dr. Neil Anderson's book "Discipleship Counseling." X)
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