The Real Me - Part Two

I so badly wanted to jump right into this after sharing my sins and struggles. However I knew that I needed to wait, if nothing else to prepare my own heart for this.

Sharing my sin with whomever chose to read it, was not about promoting the sin in my life. I was not glamorizing sin, my sin is wicked. The sins in my life are real, they are struggles that I have to face daily.

In thinking about the body of Christ and what that should really look like prompted me to be open, more open than I have ever been. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone, to truly be uncomfortable with my sin. So many of the struggles I listed are "fairly" easy to hide day to day; hidden not just from you but from me. The second I shared my inner most thoughts I became very accountable for those struggles.

I wish I could say that fear of God was ALWAYS more prominent in my thinking than fear of man. Since it is not, it was almost more scary to reveal to you my sin, than to confess to God what He already knows about me. Why am I first not more bothered by the FACT that God knows everything about me? Why am I more concerned about concealing my sin than confessing and repenting? Some of these thoughts seem so basic, yet I seem to be standing face to face with. Proverbs 29:25 "The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe" Psalm 112:1 "Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commandments" - These are just a couple of the many verses that apply to this situation.

I am truly thankful for sharing my struggles for a couple main reasons. It allowed me to demonstrate (produce) my fear of the Lord and desire to do His commands, opposed to man. It also has lead me to the realization that God is doing amazing work, divine work in our church family at Calvary. We are making connections and sharing life/struggles/joy, etc. Superficially this is seen in most churches, but I truly believe that God has been working in a beautiful with our church family to make this more than skin deep. We have formed bonds between each other that will lead to life long friendships. The type of friendships that last, the people you can call in the middle of the night because you are hurting or struggling. The friends you call when you are elated with joy or just because. The friends that love you in the midst of sin, are willing to stand for the Word of God and guide you in the way of the Lord when you can't see. The friends that laugh, love, cry, and serve the Lord with you!

Disclaimer: I don't emphasis Calvary to down play God's work in other churches. I can say by the posts on facebook that God is working in very similar ways in may other church families. We serve an amazing God, and through faith can lead us to do anything.

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH OUR LORD, we must have faith!