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Sunday, September 27, 2009

Oh Woe is Me!!!

John 8:12

12When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."




My head is spinning about a book I have been reading and I have really learned so much that my heart could burst. For now I just need to cut to the chase and jump right in with what I feel I can not type quickly enough.




Ever since I can remember I have been a thinker. I can remember being a little girl and analyzing certain situations and having a check inside of me that what I was thinking through, regarding certain life circumstances, was not normal or healthy. This is not always a good thing especially when it comes to taking unruly thoughts captive. Our minds are so stinking powerful. We over analyze, drudge up the past, think on all the things of this world system and etc. I literally can start trying to self diagnose and google web md and start thinking I have all kinds of issues based on a simple symptom. In dealing with panic attacks due to my mitral valve, I have even set off other panic attacks by fearing the thought of having one. We can meditate on so many things: "I'm fat", "I'm ugly", "I am a bad mom", "I am a failure", and on and on. When we meditate on these things and they are not true or do not motivate change we will be pulled down into the pit of self-destruction. There are some things in your life and mine that are true, real, and have happened that are good and bad. You may have faced some serious rejection, maybe your parents were alcoholics, you may have been co-dependent for as long as you can remember. You may have been abused, raped, misunderstood, misused, or betrayed. Just as we can not focus on past trophies, we can not dwell (literally pitch a tent and camp out on the spots of your affliction) on all of our "wrongs" for the rest of our days. Hey are those things awful? YES! YES, I am not saying they aren't. I could sit here and give you a list a mile long of things I have been through personally but it would do no good unless I am using it to glorify God through relating to you. There is a huge victim mentality going on in our day. We expect things from people that can give us nothing, and if they could would it really satisfy? We are grasping at the wind when we go after that one thing, that one person, that has failed us that we desperately think we need something from.


I have watched several people over a period of years grasp at the wind in their effort to blame every thing bad that has happened to them on someone else. Literally, I have seen so many pointing fingers that a certain amount of disillusionment sets in. I have seen a person never ever own up to their own past. Instead blame...blame...blame. It was everyone but them. I can't stand fake. Most of that stems from observation over my brief lifetime. You see it everywhere. People trying to act like more than they really are. Look at our national debt for example. I am talking about a pervasiveness, something that fills and spreads without, that appeals to our carnality. It is dangerous. We want to be people that are wholly filled with God. Integrity means wholeness. We are full of integrity. Being filled by the Holy Spirit is a continual thing. One baptism with many fillings. We can grieve the Holy Spirit by our sin. Remembering that the Holy Spirit is part of the Triune God, God is Holy and can not dwell with sin. Light and darkness have no fellowship. They can not co-exist. Light extinguishes the darkness always. So, we are going to be filled with something. One or the other. Just like either we are children of God or we aren't, which leaves us being a child of the devil in our unregenerate state.


Let me tell you why it is so dangerous when we live with unforgiveness. We heap sin upon sin. We either forgive and let everyone off the hook (I am not talking about a doormat mentality) and lower the bar that has been raised so high...or we become bitter.


I had the illustration of pancakes come to me a while back. A big heaping stack of pancakes. One piled upon the other and then (I don't like syrup) but sticky syrup poured all over. I REALLY just spent an hour making this so you could see the visual idea (CLICK TO ENLARGE). I hope my handwriting is legible:





Can I just say that most of what is written here I have learned from experience. We have to own up to our own sins, take our hurts to the Lord as much as we have to, and place confidence in Him. Satan will tempt you into thinking that you deserve better than the lot that has been dealt. He wants you to buy into all of the health, wealth, and prosperity teaching and trick you into all manner of sin. he will bring people along that will try to dress your wounds as though they are not serious, when we in fact have some serious gaping wounds that we need the Lord to bind up. PLEASE listen to me! Take your hurts and disappointments and find the sufficiency that only comes from Christ! He is the only one that will never grow tired or weary. He will not reject you in your brokenness. If your husband is not the husband you think he should be (not talking about abuse and etc) find that the LORD is YOUR husband. If friends have let you down go to Him and know the friend that sticks closer than a brother. If your mom and dad were never real parents to you, see that even if your father and mother forsake you...the Lord will NEVER leave you or forsake you. If you have suffered great loss, run to the one who can restore your life and make the second half better than the first. If you have blown it and traded your inheritance for a bowl of stew like Esau, start replacing lies with truth, stand to your feet and believe God for the rest of your days. Dying to ourselves will bring our richest gain. Nothing that the enemy offers is for your good. Nothing! His word works. Drink deep of the Water of Life. Walk in the Light following Him...there is nothing dark about Him, nothing even shady. Take it from me.
Instead of the woe is me attitude, let us run to the throne room and find grace and mercy in time of need. When we gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and seek Him in His temple, where He is enthroned between the cheribum with ten thousands upon ten thousands of angels...we will cry with Isaiah: (Isaiah 6:5) "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. We are all unclean before a Holy God. Yet inspite of my own sins the Cross made a way for me and you to be made right with God. He never shames us. He is the rebuilder of the ancient ruins. Ruins in our own life. Bringing beauty for ashes...the things that have burned down around us that maybe we even caused. Instead of sitting in the ashes, smelling like smoke, and dressing ourself with soot let us take the garment of praise and believe that God still has a plan for you and me. As long as we have breath.








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8 comments:

Steve said...

Amen and Amen. I've been there, and at times I go there and just lay in my own pitty. There's times I just can't seem to forget my past. There is so much in my head till, its hard to soon forget. Before the Lord saved me, I was the worst of sinners, not many things that I did not do. I know HE has forgiven me, but deep down, I don't think I've forgiven myself. Pray for me, and may God bless you

jennyhope said...

Steve!!! I am praying! If so many people were truly honest they would say the same thing. That is why I can write out of my own personal journey when it comes to this. If anyone, unfortunately, has been the chief of sinners...trust me it is me. I can't tell you the times I have to remind myself of who I am in Christ.
I know that you are a man but the new Breaking Free by Beth Moore comes out in November. It is the updated 10th edition. I went to the taping of the new one in New orleans and it is good. It would be worth it if you wanted to grab the workbook and do it!
I have an old version of the workbook if you want me to mail it to you.
Also, her Believing God study is so good. I love them all!! A lot of men do her studies but it takes one secure dude to do them! She is such a gifted teacher and the Holy Spirit just speaks through her!
I will pray!! That I can do!

Rosslyn Elliott said...

Thank you for the passion and the truth behind this post.

At a certain point in my young adulthood, I had to decide whether to look back for the rest of my life, or turn around and face the future instead. We can't truly walk forward unless we forgive and let go of the past. It's a life-changing decision.

Warren Baldwin said...

You have a lot here to comment on! I'll go with the idea of holding onto our sins/failings and blaming others for them. This can get so bad that Proverbs says the fool even rages against God! (I have a chapter about that in my book coming out).

Holding onto our sin so we can 'handle' it rather than confessing it before God indicates we have more trust in our solutions than we do in God's. That's a recipe for greater sin and failure.

The chain of sin can only be broken by admitting it is there, not hiding it!

As always, good post, well thought out, biblical, and well written.

Charity said...

Oh Jenny....what a great word! Every time I have a moment to check your blog, it overwhelms me how the Lord always gives you a word I need to hear! And believe me, I really needed to hear this...

Love you sister!
Charity

Steve said...

Thanks so much for your comment, and offer. I truly have turned the page from my past, but satan every now and again, likes to run them by. My wife has forgiven me of the past, and my daughter, for not being the dad I should have been, but my sons, that another story all together. You see, their lost, and truly don't understand the way I was then, and the way I am now,but they can see the change. Their mother and I were married for eight years, and I left. I had the boys on weekends, every weekend, the only thing was, I was gone most of the time playing music. I know you will pray, thats why I've ask you. The Lord I know, remembers my sins no more. Thank you so much again for your concern

Warren Baldwin said...

Steve, I got an email update, and thought I'd reply. The same God who knows your past and has forgiven also knows your pain and your longing for your sons. Remember that he, too, loves your sons and wants the best for them. They may travel part of the path you traveled for them, but with your changed life, your prayers, and God's concern for them, there is a lot of reason to be hopeful for their future. God bless.

Shelly said...

Girlfriend,
I love your pancake illustration. It was so good.