Wake up...live at a pace of 1,000,000 miles an hour...go to bed...wake up and do it all over again... for the rest of your life! Oh, and try to find the time to maintain the relationships in your life ( family, friends, co-workers, room mates, the mailman, and if you are lucky that person of your dreams!). I make these statements with very limited vision. I am 25 years old, so what insight could I possibly offer anyone who has lived a day more than me? As I have taken a survey of the people that are running in and out of my life over the past couple of weeks... I have something to say that might be worth a listen (what a bold claim for a self-center guy like me, but here goes none the less).
There is a prominent Christian singer that has walked down an unfaithful road in his life. This guy sings with conviction of the awe and wonder of our faithful Creator. He tours the country and leads thousands of people in worship for the Lord our God. He has a beautiful young family, and "success." However one day he found himself to be an unfaithful husband to his wife. He cheated on his wife, the mother of his only son. I have something to say to this guy: The Lord's grace has given you right standing before the throne of the Father...but you have broken the heart of one of His daughters! Only the Lord can piece her fractured heart heart back together, but He has given you the command to surrender your life to give the rest of your life in sacrifice to your bride. I have never been on this guys side more than I am right now. I want to see this guy redeemed as a father and husband, because I want to see the Lord move with all his glory. I want to see Him move because I need hope. I need hope that tells me that not even our unfaithfulness can stop the glorious grace of our Saviour Jesus. I need hope for myself.
I have a friend that is fighting for his kids. He is fighting through the unfaithfulness of his wife. He is fighting through loneliness and hurt. He is fighting through the lies of the great deceiver that tells him he is not fit to father his own kids. He is fighting through this fog of pain and hardship... he is fighting for the future of his kids. He is fighting for the light in their eyes at the end of a long hard day. He is fighting for them, because the Lord has but these kids in his life. I have something to say to this guy: Keep fighting. Fight when there is light on the good sunny days. Fight in the thickness of a dark night. Fall to your knees at the foot of your kids bed and plead with to the only Father that has never failed His children. Plead with Him for the light of His Spirit. Cry out to Him for the strength to keep moving toward toward His will for the lives of those babies. Ask Him for the wisdom that moves boys to become men. And then get out of His way, and let Him take the lead. Follow Him.
I know a girl that left her husband and kids because she was unhappy. She chased the dreams of her youth, instead of being a mother to her kids. When she couldn't find anything of value in the world, she wanted her kids back... so she took them from their father. The father that never stops giving his kids everything he had...no matter how unsatisfied he was with his life. Her kids have become leverage instead of her babies. I have something to say to her: The Lord knew all your sins... and He died on a cross to save you from yourself. He knew all the wrongs you would commit, and He still loves you. But, children are not leverage. They are not the bargaining tools that get you the things you want. There are thousands of people that plead with the Lord to have the chance at having children... and you see your babies as a burden. I pray the Lord doesn't give you over to the desires of a sinful heart. I hope He begins to break and mold your heart to repentance. I hope you cry out of His forgiveness. I hope He restores your heart to love those kids like they are the best thing that has ever happened to you. I cannot condemn you, because my list of faults and sins are many. I hope for redemption for you, because I need it just as much as you.
There is a girl that has stolen my heart, and she has felt the sing of my sins. She has shown me love and trust. And, I have betrayed both. While she has given me forgiveness... her heart has been cracked. As I write this, she is alone in a room struggling with her own personal issues. She has places in her life that just aren't adding up. There is a war raging in her mind of what is right and wrong. There are lies that she has believed her entire life that she doesn't want to believe anymore...but it's not easy to untangle herself from the grasp of deception. I have something to say to this girl: You cannot fix yourself... no one can fix themselves. The weight of repairing yourself is not your burden to carry. You are strong and beautiful. Lay it all at His feet, then walk where He shines His light. Don't let me or your history stand in the way of finding the wholeness that your Father promised you. You are good, but it is okay to be a little messed up! The Lord love the chance to show you just how much He loves you...so let Him.
Then there is me... and I have plenty to say to myself: You are an idiot! You know the right path, but you walk the other way. You lie, cheat, and steal... you are an idiot! But, you are lovable. The Lord loves you! He loves you right now...not some future version of you. He love the messed idiot you are right now (thank you Matt Chandler). You are not Superman, you aren't even Batman... hell, you aren't even Mighty Mouse. So stop acting like you are. Be honest... you need the Lord more than you want to say, or more than you even know. He will sustain you. Just fall at His feet and let Him break every part of you that keeps you from His goodness. Smile every once in a while; there is joy to be found in the Lord!
God, help us all! Your cross is more than a tree. We are a busted people. Take all our junk and redeem us! Redeem us! We need you! I need you!