Rinse and Repeat

Would you really walk around town with a giant spaghetti stain on your brand new white T-Shirt?

  I think the majority of people will answer no to this question. We would take care of it. We would change our shirt, then wash the stained shirt with bleach in hopes that the stain would come out. Just imagine this… let’s say that not only did you decide to keep wearing the shirt, but you decided to head to work for an important business presentation. You stand before a group of co-workers with spaghetti still on your shirt. You stand complacent to the fact that there is a stain, and that people do notice it.

 Now let me flip the scenario.  Imagine walking around town with a deep down stain within your heart. Step by step as your feet hit the pavement, you feel as if this stain will just go away if you just stop thinking about it. Every encounter with life throughout the day serves as a reminder that the stain is there but you still ignore it. Little do you know, people do notice…  something deep down within you just isn’t right. The way you react, what your eyes and heart veer toward. Then to top it all off you have a presentation, on your knees before God… still ignoring the stain. Does this sound familiar?

 John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

Rinse and repeat, then rinse and repeat again. But, you have to first notice the stain and deal with it. It doesn’t matter how the stain got there. The fact is that God can wash the stain away. The only true way is to be honest with others and with God about the stain, and allow him to flood it out of your life!

Jesus addressed this issue with the pharisees.

Matthew 23: 25-26 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

God is concerned about our heart, not our presentation! This is a fight against complacency in a well settled down world, where we have learned to react to life’s surroundings as opposed to reacting to God. And the more we live for ourselves in this world, the less we even care about God the Father. Here’s a thought to ponder, and take a minute to think about it before answering. Would Jesus call you a Pharisee?   

What are your thoughts on this post? Are you willing to share what’s on your heart about this issue? If so please do comment. And keep in mind that you do not have to be a WordPress user to comment.

Deep down within (James 5:16)

How can a blind man lead a blind man?

Luke 6:39

Then Jesus gave the following illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch?

I know the feeling, we want to help others but we have something deep within that is lurking in the shadows. A certain habit it seems. I will call it what it is though. It’s a deep down sin that has a hold. The scary thing is that if you don’t seek to change this sin it will destroy you. The very same scenario rings true in my life. I held a monster inside for so long that it became part of me. There is hope though. There is freedom in Christ

John 8:36

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

So before you give up know this. If Christ can change my heart he can change yours. But you will need to choose Christ. Let me say that again, you will need to choose Christ. I don’t mean be saved. I mean give that sin to God. There are certain steps you can take to change your heart. I know from personal experience that they work.

1. Confess: Not just to God. Confess to your spouse, your brother’s or sister’s in Christ, Your pastor….. Everyone you can think of. You will have to experience humility before Christ can set you free.
2. Replace: You will need to replace this desire with the word of God. This is the only way to freedom. If you don’t get into God’s word you will replace this sin with something else.
3. Be accountable: Find someone who is willing to hold you accountable but this requires great honesty. Ultimately you will need to remind yourself that even if you lie to your accountability partner, God knows!
4. Press on toward the goal:  Philippians 3:14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
5. Pray! and not just for yourself. Pray for others. God will begin to develop a selfless life within you.

It all starts with confession though. I am very blessed to have a strong accountability partner who takes it very seriously. I look up to this person and I feel as if he looks up to me in some ways also. We both know that we will have to answer to each other at the end of the day.

James 5:16

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

There is power in confession, there is freedom in confession and there is healing in confession. But let’s not forget the important point to pray for one another. Prayer and confession must go hand in hand for the healing to take place. Confession and transparency makes us righteous in God’s eyes and this makes our prayers more powerful and effective!

Have you ever came across a life changing situation like this? Where you had to confess and change your heart? If so, will you be willing to leave a general comment explaining what the Lord has brought you through and where he is taking you?