It was a discouraging season of events. I diligently worked on the modification project, yet was not seeing the results of such an investment of time. Disillusioned and discouraged, I made my way to my office, AKA prayer closet, and poured out my frustrations into the air,
“Why God, why? I have prayed for him for years, but nothing.”
I changed our demographics, removed contacts from our social network, and even modified every anticipated negative altercation before its occurrence in hopes of lasting change. But, little resulted from such effort, and I was frustrated.
It was a whisper, barely audible to the heart, “But, Josie, your sins are so much easier to hide.”
Oh.
It was true. I was polished and in pristine Christian condition. He, on the other hand, was obviously tainted and tarnished in sin.
Truth is, we both were.
I had deceived myself into believing I was good because my outside was modified in such a way I appeared okay.
Actually, I sin everyday. Yes, pretty much every single day. So far, twice. Wait, that’s a lie, but only a little one, so does that count as a 1/2 a sin if it’s only a little deceit?
Makes me wonder, if we are so easily deceived to our own sins, if the partial blame is that sins that are no longer labeled sins anymore. Confusing, when obvious sins have been reworded as:
Mistakes
Errors
Bad choices
In no particular order, sins of this category include:
Adulterous encounters
Premarital sexual encounters
Homosexual encounters
The BIG THREE that seem to be no big deal nowadays.
Truth be told, I have committed ALL THREE. Yes, you read it correctly–ALL THREE.
And all three were more than:
Just an error on my part
a bad choice
a mistake
They were all SINS I committed. I am not proud of fact. Yet, I am FORGIVEN for these, and the countless others I commit until my final breath.
What saddens me is our culture is dismissing the fact that there is even a problem here.
I am told if I focus on love, then all is good.
And, in the Christian community, there seems to be a sense that we should focus on love. And, I agree about loving others. We are in no way to throw stones at sinners, but, in the same respect, if I only focus on love, without sharing the truth, then I am doing a disservice as a loving Christian.
Because, love, without truth, doesn’t win.
And, I love you too much not to speak truth.
Our God is slow to anger, and abounding in love. He does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance.
#loveandtruthwins
