In the next few weeks, I teach on the Celebrate Recovery
Lessons addressing creating a personal inventory of ones issues on Tuesday
nights at Believers Church. Asking my
hearers to reflect, document and then make eventual amends with one-self, God
and others is awkward. We generally have
spent a life time denying, rationalizing, blaming self-God-others, and
searching for ways to anesthetize our shame, guilt and conscience. So I approach these coming weeks with an
awareness, I make people feel awkward.
Yeah, I know that sounds negative but I have come to cherish
the role. I love to challenge the notion
that we have to needlessly, endlessly hide from ourselves, God and others,
living life in the shadows of who we really are. Over the last 30 years in my Wednesday morning Bible study, I can recall multiple
times I have shared my inner struggles with my non-CR brothers, only to see
them stuff another donut in their mouths so they wouldn’t have to share. Vulnerability for guys is generally seen as
weakness, and we all know we cannot have any of that. The problem for me is the Holy Spirit keeps
egging me on….maybe it’s the Spiritual Gift of fortitude (courage), or maybe I am just simply obnoxious…. Some people are fools for Christ, some of us….
maybe we’re just obnoxious for Christ.
I encourage you to
consider finding freedom in fully submitting to Jesus Christ for His redemption,
and journey to growing into the real you.
I believe we are all broken and will not be healthy, whole &
complete until we are with Christ, so this journey will last the rest of your
life. I believe with all my heart that
it is worth the work. Jesus is the key,
and while this world offers many counterfeits, pursue your Creator.
Having struggled to
reconcile my hurts and issues over a lifetime with dead family members has
been, and is, daunting. Not impossible,
but very difficult. That’s a key driver
to me to always urge my hearers to address their issues (hurts, habits &
addictions…mental health issues….et cetera) with the living. I have observed healings, great senses of
relief and releases of unbearable burdens when people forgive, make amends, and
clarify longstanding misunderstandings.
You have to want it badly enough to submit to the pain of the process,
but it is the true added value to a life well lived I want you all to
experience.
If you ever….ever,
have questions about the decision points, the journey, the cost, and the peace
with God for which you search, contact me……..
Blessings, Brother
Rob
May 5, 2017
