Tender Places - 30 Days of Authenticity #6
It's kinda weird how we don't want to show people the hurting places in our lives.
Maybe it's like pouring alcohol on a gaping wound - it hurts too much.
But the problem is, if we never expose the hurting places, they can never get healed.
"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:5-8
There is none who has not sinned. There is not one of us who, to use a vulgar, but appropriate saying, "Has got all our shit together." We all get lost. We all feel alone. We all wonder. But the lie that keeps us from the beautiful life of freedom that is ours, says we can't tell anyone. We can't reveal that we need help or that we have fallen.
But that is the beauty of grace. It's so contrary to the self-justification of our broken world. Grace is the power to get back up, with scraped knees and bruised places on our flesh, to rise stronger than before and walk into the light. We can step into the truth of belonging, being valued and being free. We can stand unashamed in the glorious presence of God. We are washed in his presence because of what Jesus has done. Somehow, like a magic clorox commercial, the stains of our imperfection are cleansed in his blood.
Tonight, I am hurting, because there is pain this side of heaven. I am hurting because people I know are hurting and it is hard to see them suffer. I am learning, too, in the midst of the hurt. I am learning that honesty can be a precious gift. I am learning that somethings that seem to be too hard to say, end up hurting worse when they go unsaid. I am learning to lean more on Jesus when I don't understand, which seems to be a lot these days.
Maybe it's like pouring alcohol on a gaping wound - it hurts too much.
But the problem is, if we never expose the hurting places, they can never get healed.
"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:5-8
There is none who has not sinned. There is not one of us who, to use a vulgar, but appropriate saying, "Has got all our shit together." We all get lost. We all feel alone. We all wonder. But the lie that keeps us from the beautiful life of freedom that is ours, says we can't tell anyone. We can't reveal that we need help or that we have fallen.
But that is the beauty of grace. It's so contrary to the self-justification of our broken world. Grace is the power to get back up, with scraped knees and bruised places on our flesh, to rise stronger than before and walk into the light. We can step into the truth of belonging, being valued and being free. We can stand unashamed in the glorious presence of God. We are washed in his presence because of what Jesus has done. Somehow, like a magic clorox commercial, the stains of our imperfection are cleansed in his blood.
Tonight, I am hurting, because there is pain this side of heaven. I am hurting because people I know are hurting and it is hard to see them suffer. I am learning, too, in the midst of the hurt. I am learning that honesty can be a precious gift. I am learning that somethings that seem to be too hard to say, end up hurting worse when they go unsaid. I am learning to lean more on Jesus when I don't understand, which seems to be a lot these days.
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