Tag: Sin

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The Dragon’s Final Fatal Spasms

Dear sister,

~I had gotten the email Sunday morning Thailand time.  It shocked me to the core.  While living in Virginia I worked with an amazing Young Life staff who taught me how to meet teens where they were at.  There was one couple in particular who just exuded a love for Christ and each other that I had yet to see elsewhere. They were magnets to teens seeking joy and peace in the throws of high school chaos and awkwardness.  The husband came home from work that day to have lunch with his wife and brand new baby girl.  He just loved his family and wanted to spend some extra precious minutes with them. On the way back to work the authorities believe the sun blinded him and he ran off the road and was killed.  My heart broke for his wife, precious girl, and all those who knew him.  But the real tears came as I helped lead worship at church that morning with the song “God is so Good”.  At that moment, I did not believe those words and I left in tears.

~I woke up from the anesthesia hearing my name being called.  A few seconds later tears filled my eyes as I realized the beloved twins that once were alive inside me, were now gone.  I still feel the ache and tears now fill my eyes as I type.

How as Christians do we grieve to the glory of God?  Do we plaster a grin and say we are “fine”?  Do we fake it till we make it?  Is that what this Christian life is about?  Only good things should happen to believers, never sad, confusing or hurtful times?  Oh sweet sister, the Bible is full of grieving people…even the Lord Jesus himself grieved…even God the Father grieved at the death of his Son!  Yes, there is a way to grieve to the glory of God that does not minimize our hurt and pain.

We first need to realize that death was not in the original Garden of Eden.  Sin was not there.  So when we grieve death, we do so rightly.  Death is the result of sin that came from Adam’s disobedience to God which carries with it the curse of death to all who followed in life.  It reminds us that this world is broken.  Yet it is also a reminder that Christ came to CONQUER death!  Death has been and will be defeated.  It was slain at the cross and we wait for Christ to come again and stop the dragon’s final fatal spasms.

So as Christians, death hits us hard as we know that it is a result of a sin laden earth.  We grieve because of the destruction it brings.  So let the tears and groans come.  Know the Father grieves too.  But do not grieve without hope.

  • Be honest with what you are feeling:
    • The psalms are full of examples; let them guide you (Ps 13, 22, 38, 42, 55, 59, 61, and 88).  Bring your grief to the Lord, he above all understands what it means to grieve.
  • Seek Godly comfort:
    • It will be easy to run to the TV, food, exercise, memories, music, work, or other people but they will not give you lasting comfort.  Jesus Christ is our lasting comfort as He is the one who conquered death by dying and rising again!  Run to Him above all else.  Yes, you can use the others as tools, but not your respite.  Christ is your ultimate comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
  • Resist Temptations:
    • You will be vulnerable when you are in grief.  Resist the temptation to doubt God’s goodness, mercy, grace, and love.  You may not feel like He is those things but remember He never changes.  Be careful not to be angry with God, envy others who have not felt your grief, or fall into self-pity.  Serve others.
  • Use Your Resources:
    • This is when we really need to lean into our church family for support.  We need them to help us remember the Truth and not believe the lies.  Read the Word.  Read the Word.  Read the Word.  Even if you don’t feel like it.
  • Remember your Blessings:
    • The Lord does promise good out of all things.  Actively look for them

I had never understood the pain of a miscarriage until I had one.  Since that day, my heart aches for each couple who experiences this loss.  I can grieve with them, cry with them, hurt with them, and offer them hope as one who understands what they are going through.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says that there is “a time for everything”, even a time to mourn, lose, die, and break down…but it also says there is a time to laugh, build up, and live. “There is a season for everything under the sun”.  Yes grieve, but don’t stay there, let the Lord use you to then comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3).   Grief is real, but so is the comfort of Christ.

Your sister in Christ,

Colleen

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Faithfullness: Healing

My Dear Sister,

Sin. Apart from God it does irreparable damage to our souls and our lives. Apart from God we are helpless to do anything but walk in the darkness. It is only when the Lord intervenes in our life and awakens us to His glorious light do we realize that we’ve merely been blindly stumbling through our lives without even a flicker of a candle to guide us. Along with the light, we receive new eyes. We can now see the hopelessness of our old ways and the destruction we’ve left in our path. Praise the Lord that it brings Him glory to save us in our helplessness and rescue us from our own depravity. Sin has wreaked havoc on every square inch of our lives, yet God takes us into His arms and promises to heal us. He takes our broken lives and begins the process of sanctification, the process of healing that will continue throughout our entire lifetime. God promises that once He begins this good work He will bring it into completion. Paul says in Philippians, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it into completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (1:6).

Praise the Lord for His great faithfulness. He will never forsake us, and even when we fall He will continue healing us. I’ve seen God been faithful in many ways but if there is one point that His faithfulness is essential it is in making us more like Christ. We will never get there on our own. There are too many broken pieces to put back together, too many jagged edges to smooth away.  If we ignore the damage sin has done to us we will never be healed. Known sin that has not been confessed has the power to devour us. If we make no effort to extract it from our lives it will remain there, eating away at us. Therefore, we must confront it head on. It will not be easy but it is essential for your growth. For we have not been called to impurity, but to holiness (1 Thess. 4:7).

In the Psalms, David cries out to the Lord, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled” (6:2). In Lamentations, Jeremiah writes, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (3:22-23). The Lord is ready to flood you with His mercy; not just today but every day for the rest of your life. His steadfast love will never cease; it will go on for all eternity. With Him by our side we have the power to conquer the sin in our life and He will give us whatever we need to accomplish that end. He will be faithful to renew our souls and heal us with His gentle hands.

The passage in Lamentations goes on to say, “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.” Because the Lord has extracted us from the darkness and has plunged us into His glorious light we now have hope. God is our hope, our Savior and our Light. So hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Confront your sin and ask God to help you pull the root of it completely out of you. He will be faithful; He will give you the strength and He will heal you.

May you be blessed in the year to come,

Kayla

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A Hope to Encourage

My Dear Sister,

I have been pondering lately and I wanted to share these thoughts with you in order to encourage you.  There are two ways to view life: with or without hope.  Looking back over time we can see the pain of wars, death, destruction of cities, prostitution, murder, betrayal, lies, homosexuality, death of marriage and the family, government failures, and even stealing the innocence of children.  We see the masses dismiss God through evolution, feminism, existentialism, and the “freedom” of religion.  The support and comfort of the family has turned to the power of individualism.  Hope has been deferred.

Or…has it?

Paul tells us in Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

What hope comes through the encouragement of the Scriptures?  Don’t we see a thread of hopelessness through the kings, judges, and even the prophets?  Are not the psalms filled with cries to the Lord to defeat persecuting rulers and painful situations?  Yes.  But you also can see a thread throughout the scriptures screaming of hope.  This hope contrasts the darkness of each pain and cry of our hearts.  This hope is the ANSWER to each pain and cry of our hearts.  This hope is never deferred.  This hope never disappoints.  This hope is never a wish; it is a sure thing.

This thread of hope is the gospel.  The gospel reveals the hopelessness of sin so that the sweetness of the Savior shines sure.  With every pain written in scripture, the hope of a Savior is promised.  With every cry of the heart the hope of our savior is preached. This Savior’s birth is what is celebrated this Christmas.  This Savior humbled himself to come to earth as a man to live a perfect life so that he could die to pay for the hopelessness of our sin.  He rose again so that this hope is SURE forever. Our hope is a forward hope.  A hope that we have eternity with our Savior and Lord in the new Eden where there is no pain or tears.

So sweet sister, how are you viewing your life today? Is your focus on the hopelessness of this world or the hope of our Savior? Be encouraged today of the hope that is yours through Jesus Christ!

Your sister,

Colleen