Max Lucado is a storyteller. Not just any teller of stories. He preaches, teaches, and wraps the truths of God in warm fuzzy blankets that comfort and reassure us that God’s love is greater than all of our shortcomings, failures and sins combined. Let me assure you, my own pile of regrets is very large, so I appreciate the words of encouragement.
I recently read Max’s Fearless. Each chapter dealing with a different struggle, such as ‘fear of the worst’, ‘fear of failure’ and the ‘fear of disappointing God’. As I mulled that last one, I realized that for me, it went hand in hand with ‘I’ve already disappointed God, too much!’
Do you know what a gnat is? That’s right, a teeny bug that is soft to the touch. It’s so small I can squish it or flick it and not be at all squeamish. Now before you congratulate me on overcoming my ‘bug fear’, let me say that a fly is another matter altogether. I will not kill a fly of any size with my bare hands. To me, a fly is annoying, persistent and disgusting. When a fly has made me its target – I need a tool. I will settle for a newspaper, magazine, even a flip-flop. But since a fly has kaleidoscope-like vision, a swift and silent flyswatter is the ideal weapon. Yet, even with this, it can still take a surprising amount of time and effort to actually corner and remove this pest.
The spiritual gnats in my life are the memories of past failures, pesky but small reminders of things done wrong. But a quick mental flick and I remember that I have repented and been forgiven of all my sins.
The spiritual flies in my life are a bigger deal. Especially when I’m distracted by life; I might just try to swat one of these past failures away (such as a verse quickly spoken) but before I know it – I am sinking fast into the remorse, regret and humiliation of a past sin. Then I recognize that I am in deep; wrestling with the grief, reliving the shame; I am drowning one moment and resisting the power of the past the next.
I am in an empty well of shadows. These shadows are very real to me. Painful reminders of mistakes made, wrong paths chosen, and selfish motives. I have tried many types of ladders to get out of this pit, but the only ladder strong enough is not meant for climbing: it’s made for holding on to.
This ladder is repeating scripture and praying. When I stop looking at the past and start repeating His truth, I change my focus from me (and the shadows around me) to the One who loves me and forgives me of my past failures. I wish I could say that getting out of the pit was like hunting down that pesky fly. A few minutes of concerted effort and the result is me 1, fly 0.
But the reality is, when I am struggling to overcome focusing on my sinfulness – it may take minutes, hours or days. But I don’t give up, because I know that God wants to deliver me, so I keep on repeating scripture, reminding myself out loud that God is with me and for me. I hold on, trusting His word and His promises. When I have a firm grip on the ladder of God’s truth, He lifts me up out of the pit. No climbing required.
Romans 8 is a perfect example of the kind of rope, I should say hope, that is available to us.
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8: 35-39 (NIV)
For more info about the book Fearless and the author: www.maxlucado.com
Written by Mary Wilkins July 25, 2010
This is a really great coverage of the things that haunt us about ourselves. It is the voice of reason telling us what is important to do when the enemy is slamming the door on us to keep us imprisioned in our own regrets.
ReplyDeleteThanks and Blessings!