Last night, the music pastor at my church gave out a sheet of paper to us during choir practice. It was titled “Cleansing for Personal Renewal.” A quick glance told me that the sheet listed basic topics where we might have unresolved sin in our lives and a few scriptures about living holy lives.
Oh man, why is he taking time away from rehearsal to go over something so basic? I thought. Then I started reading the sheet.
Questions like
“Have you been holding a grudge against anyone?”
“Do you avoid people you dislike but need your love?”
“Are you jealous when others are promoted?”
and
“Is there anything you would be unwilling to give up if God asked you?” jumped out and hit me like a ton of bricks. These were not just basic, glossed-over questions about whether you were desiring holiness, talking to God regularly, and fellowshipping with other Christians. These questions were probing. They were applicable. They were painful to answer.
Looking over this intense sheet of questions made me realize how little we [ I ] like to talk about sin. Of course, there are Christians who are always talking about sin and condemning everyone to hell, whether they’ve committed adultery or used the “wrong” version of the Bible. But for most Christians I know, actually calling out and naming sin is pretty rare. We don’t like to draw attention to sin. We prefer to call it “making mistakes” or “being human.” Sure, we’re okay with saying, “Everyone sins,” but to say “How have I sinned?” is a whole other story. To put the label of “sin” on something we’ve thought, felt, or done is to fully admit to ourselves and to God that we know we’re wrong, and it’s not okay.
One of my favorite professors in college once said about confessing sins, “When you ask yourself these questions [deep, probing questions about personal sin], and something flashes on the computer screen of your mind, it doesn’t mean something’s forever broken. It just means you have some things you need to talk to God about.”
Our sin may not be okay, but it is always okay to talk to God about our sin. And once we’ve dealt with it, once we’ve stopped hitting delete on the “computer screen” of our minds, once we’ve allowed it to stay in front of us long enough to care and repent, it is finished. No more guilt. No more condemnation.
To be honest, when I think about answering the scrutinizing questions my music pastor gave us, I get a bit of spiritual paralysis. I’m afraid of what I’ll find when I look into my heart. I guess I’m afraid that God won’t really want me when all of my sin is on the table. I forget the things I wrote about in a post in November (Click here to read), that God is not afraid to deal with my sin, with my emotion, with my ugliness.
Confronting our sin is only truly horrific if the blood of Jesus isn’t there to cover us. As a co-heir with Christ in the eyes of God, I should have full confidence joining with King David and saying to God,
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-4
Has confronting your own sin ever made you uncomfortable? Do you find it easier to point the finger at someone else or to keep the idea of sin so broad and vague that you don’t have to examine yourself?
Spend some time today asking God to search your heart. If something pops up on the “computer screen” of your mind, don’t allow fear to push it away. Trust God to cleanse you and heal you. Be encouraged, for “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” (Romans 8:1)
Race is a loaded topic, isn’t it? I have to admit, this has been one of the more difficult blog posts for me to write. Race is a topic that’s easily swept under the rug. There are too many bad memories in our collective human history, too many racial injustices that are still happening around the globe. It’s easier to pretend those things aren’t happening, but as Martin Luther King said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Injustice matters to God, and as His children, it should matter to us.
I’m Caucasian, of mixed European descent, and grew up in a small Midwestern town of mostly white people. Before I went to college, I thought the existence of Martin Luther King Jr Day and the passage of the Civil Rights Act meant that racism was defeated. I couldn’t imagine racial discrimination happening in today’s world.
I attended a college that was still predominantly white, but more diverse than my hometown. Through meeting people of many different races, I learned that racism still exists. All of my friends were able to tell me stories of being discriminated against, of feeling inferior because they weren’t white. I also learned about systemic racism, about the root causes behind why so many non-white races are still segregated in poor parts of inner cities. I began to take notice of how many affluent neighborhoods near my college consisted of almost all white people and how poorer neighborhoods in our nearby city consisted of almost all black people.
During college, I joined a multiethnic choir that sang exclusively black gospel music. Through that experience, I learned a lot about the African American community that I hadn’t encountered before. Every year, we sang at a Martin Luther King Jr Day celebration. While our classmates and roommates enjoyed a day off, we spent hours rehearsing, singing, and listening to speeches about racial reconciliation. At the time, I didn’t realize the impact of those events. To me, it was just another task in my busy life. Now that I am out of school, I am so grateful for the way God used those times to change my worldview.
When my husband and I were looking for a new church to join together, I told him that one of my primary concerns was to find a church that was multiethnic and multicultural. I had grown up in and attended too many churches that did not properly reflect the diversity of the body of Christ, and my experiences in college made it impossible for me to imagine attending a segregated church in our diverse area. Thanks be to God, we have found a great church with excellent preaching, caring leaders, and a diverse community. It reminds me quite a bit of the churches highlighted in this video from the 700 Club:
While we are making progress as a Church in racial reconciliation, there is still much work to be done. There are still many stereotypes that rage around the world about people of all colors, nationalities, and religions. As followers of Christ, we should be at the forefront of loving anyone and everyone, no matter how different they may seem to us.
Join with me in praying this prayer from our new book, A Time for Prayer:
LORD, we live in a diverse country with blends of many cultures, faiths, and values. I pray that the power of your Holy Spirit would move among us and tear down the barriers that divide us. May You breathe upon us and instill in us a desire for unity and agreement through a spirit of mutual respect and brotherly love. Forgive us for any discrimination or cynicism or cruelty or superior attitudes we may have harbored in our hearts. I ask You to help my own heart to be free to bring peace to others, to work together with others who don’t share my perspective, and to make a difference in the world. Help me, Father, to be a force for unity. Amen.
This weekend, we are proud to officially release our newest book, A Time for Prayer, written and compiled by Lance Wubbels. Since the book is hot off the press, even I haven’t had a chance to look through too much of it, but I look forward to sharing some favorite quotes with you over the coming weeks. For now, enjoy our short movie version of the book, and remember to bring all your cares and worries to the feet of Jesus. Let’s not forget to soak in His presence this year!
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Wow. What a mandate! This week, as we release our newest book at Inspired Faith, A Time for Prayer, I am sobered by the responsibility we have as believers to pray. So often in my Christian life, I turn to prayer as a last resort. When my words and actions fail, I resign myself to prayer.
What a different picture Ephesians 6 paints! Our real battle is not against flesh and blood, but against unseen forces of evil. How do we fight spirits? It’s not just a matter of working harder in our ministries, in our families, in our workplaces. We need God’s armor if we want to stand firmly through all battles the enemy has prepared for us.
Even though I am tempted to view prayer as a lesser action when problems come, the truth is that prayer reminds me from where my help comes! Prayer reminds me to put down my own feeble armor and to take up God’s armor. And I believe prayer accomplishes God’s will. Intercession is not just something we do for each other when nothing else seems to work and we still feel the need to do something. Intercession is our job as believers.
In the book of Job, God commands Job to intercede for his friends. Then He will forgive their folly. In James, we are told to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another. Then He will heal us. Christianity is not a solo endeavor, and the responsibility, the privilege of intercession reminds us of that.
Is prayer difficult for you? What misconceptions have you carried about the purpose and effectiveness of prayer? When have you seen prayer answered in your life or the lives of loved ones? Do you get discouraged when prayers don’t seem to be answered?
