My friend Deb sketches during sermons. This is her sketch from April 30th.

The word, umbilical is defined …
1. of, relating to, or used at the navel.
2. of or relating to the central region of the abdomen.
3. being a necessary or nurturing link of connection. *** Think of this definition and ponder Deb’s sermon art.

A picture is worth 1000 words!!

“Depend on GOD and keep at it
because in the LORD GOD you have a sure thing.”
Isaiah 26:4, The Message

Copyright: Deb Entsminger, May 2023

Godly? Maybe not. But principled, scrupulous, and morally virtuous? Absolutely. Some of the best people in my life have not been professing Christians.

There, I said it.

Early on in a nearly fifty-year career in public education, I came to a humbling conviction which has never diminished: many of my non-Christian colleagues and friends are astonishingly good human beings – way better than I know I am.

They are more patient, caring, reasonable and even-tempered. More generous, courageous, and self-disciplined. I have seen them move with compassion toward the belligerent, the hurting, the unpopular or the hostile – those I would just as soon avoid — even as they tell me I’m not religious or I don’t believe in God. Where they have gotten their moral codes is beyond me, but they live by them.

They are faithful spouses, loving parents, and dedicated volunteers for causes that add to the shalom of our community. I love them.

Of course their goodness, like everyone else’s, is insufficient in the eyes of a holy and righteous God. But I cringe sometimes when my crowd gets careless with generalizations about people who do not share our beliefs. Our sniffy disapproval of the world may reinforce pride in being in the in-crowd, and it also tempts us to forget that our own salvation was not of our own doing. Our judgmental spirits show through in our attitudes and behaviors, making the gospel distinctly unattractive to a watching world.

We are living in difficult times. Paul’s description captures this well:

“. . .people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive,
disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous,
without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.
Avoid such people.”
(2 Timothy 3:2-5)

Reading such a litany, my first inclination is to point fingers. “Those” people are the lovers of self,
money, and pleasure. “Those” people are abusive, unholy, and brutal. “Those” people are the heartless, treacherous ones. We should avoid them.

Except that some of “those” people might be me; might be us.

Some years ago I stumbled upon a reference to Disney Princess Theology, our tendency to see ourselves as the princess-heroine in every Bible story. We imagine ourselves as the beautiful, courageous Esther, never the arrogant, power-hungry Haman. We identify with Deborah the influential judge, not the rest of the people of Israel who “again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” We relate to Mary of Bethany, bringing her costly ointment to anoint the Lord, not the other disciples tsk-tsking about the monetary waste. We automatically associate ourselves with the commendable characters, oblivious to what Jesus said about hypocrisy:

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye,
but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”
(Matthew 7:3).

Rereading the 2 Timothy passage, I find adjectives that sound suspiciously like me and my tribe. Proud. Arrogant. Slanderous.

We curate our social media profiles to show us at our best and attach pejoratives – like “stupid,” “ridiculous,” or worse — to the names of people or groups we disapprove of.

We share snarky Facebook memes or forward sensational emails without first fact-checking.

I am obviously sensitive to remarks painting all public school educators with the same disparaging brush, but I often fail to catch unfair generalizations about other groups; I am too busy clucking my agreement.

How quick we are to vilify “the world,” even when it includes decent citizens, doing the best they can. How quick we are to denounce the specks in others’ eyes.

In one of those moments when my Bible seemed to sprout a brand-new verse recently, I happened upon Paul’s admission that he himself, not being perfect, had to “strain forward. . . for the prize of the upward call of God.” Urging his readers to imitate his example, he writes:

“For many, of whom I have often told you
and now tell you even with tears [italics mine],
walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”
(Philippians 3:18-19).

Far from sitting in self-righteous judgment, looking forward to the day when the enemies of the cross would get their just deserts, Paul sheds tears over their state.

He endured imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks, hunger and thirst, cold and exposure, all to bring them the gospel.

Contemplating the fate of Jerusalem, which he called “the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it” (Luke 13:34), Jesus also shed tears.

“And when he drew near and saw the city,
he wept over it, saying,
‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day
the things that make for peace!”
(Luke 19:41-42a)

And shortly thereafter, he went to the cross to die for those selfsame sinners – and for hypocrites like me, like us. Would that we would follow his example, putting away our arrogance and pride to love our neighbors humbly, sacrificially, and unconditionally.

 

Copyright: Beth Cutter, May 2023

Beth is a good friend and neighbor. We met at church. If I were pressed to offer one adjective that describes Beth, it would be kind. Over the years I have seen her kindness lived out toward others, and I have personally experienced the gift of her kindness at many times and in many ways.

Thank you Beth for sharing your words on Echoes this week and next.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At a birthday party recently, the honoree introduced us to a friend who had just moved to our state. “What brings you to Colorado?” someone asked. Her one-word answer, “God,” was not detailed enough for us. We pressed her for the backstory, which entailed not only a number of coincidental circumstances but also an experience where she heard an actual voice – from the back seat of her car as she was driving alone – surprising her by declaring “You need to move.”

As the new Colorado transplant went on, I started to wonder. I have never heard an audible,
disembodied voice of any kind, much less one I would identify as God’s, and I started to wonder. Whose experience was more common, hers or mine? And if the Lord ever did want me to do something out of the blue like that, could I expect him to tell me out loud?

From Genesis to Revelation, all kinds of people heard directly from the Lord in Bible times. He
interrogated Adam and Eve, instructed Abraham, directed Moses, and commissioned Joshua. He spoke directly to prophets and kings, to Job, Isaiah, David, Paul, Peter, and John. He spoke through angels or theophanies to Hagar, Jacob, Gideon, Daniel, Elijah, Joseph, Mary, and Zechariah. And – of course – God spoke through the person of Jesus Christ to the disciples and everyone else he encountered during his ministry on earth. “Lord,” I half-thought, half-prayed, “am I missing something?”

Here’s the thing about inquiries like that:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,
who gives generously to all without reproach,
and it will be given him.”
(James 1:5, ESV)

Over the next several days, God answered me generously – not out loud, but through his word, through preaching and teaching, and through the input of godly friends.

I thought about Jesus, the incarnation of God’s word (John 1:14). Historical estimates of world
population say that between 170 and 400 million people were alive in the first century. Of those, only the fraction who happened to be in Galilee in the right places at the right times heard Jesus speak in person. Today we have 24/7 access to all four gospels – on our laptops, our phones, and in hard copy in dozens of translations. As John Piper 1 has observed, “We have the wholeness of the revelation that Jesus meant to communicate, and it is speaking to us every time we read the Bible.” We also know this:

“ . . . the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow,
and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12, ESV)

Reading the Bible has sometimes had that effect on me, stopping me dead in my tracks with a word, phrase, or passage that had never spoken to me that way before. The margins of my Bible are sprinkled with dates memorializing some of those sharp, piercing, and discerning experiences.

A missionary friend recounts the time she was praying about a change of assignments, one that would require her and her husband to move over 7,000 miles away from home. “I didn’t really want to go,” she says, “but I was reading Psalm 126 and felt the Lord saying, ‘This is for you’”:

“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”
(Psalm 126:5-6, NIV)

Today she recalls that call with joy – and, she says, with tears of gratitude for their eight years of fruitful ministry in that region.

Since the party guest’s anecdote about hearing God speaking aloud, I have asked around among other trusted Christian friends to see if they have had auditory experiences like hers. Almost all of them have said no. Many of them have admitted that they are cautious enough as it is about discerning the difference between that “still small voice” of God and their own thoughts. All of them, however, have been quick to add that they have had experiences where strong impressions have come to them while praying, or where previously-memorized verses or passages have come to mind at just the right time. That has happened to me, too – in a moment, as it happens, that also involved the back seat of a car.

Ten years ago, a catastrophic wildfire spread through the forested area where we live. I was alone in the house when the call came to evacuate. My first task had to be to remove the two bulky car seats I kept in the back seat of my car for our grandchildren (who were safely at their house) to make room for our dogs (who were anxiously circling my legs). The car seats were latched to hooks deep behind the back seat, and try as I might, I could not get those clips undone. I continued to strain and twist, sensing precious minutes ticking by, when suddenly my mind was filled with a passage I had never intentionally memorized, just read so often that it came flooding back. I didn’t hear an audible voice, but sure as anything I knew

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea. . . .”
(Psalm 46:1-2, ESV)

“Lord, I panted, “I need your very present help. I can’t get these latches to unhook!” And just like that, there was a click. The first latch released, and the second one followed. That unmistakable sense, that the Lord had brought just the right words to my mind and answered my prayer almost before it had left my lips, was all I needed in the hours and days that followed to be reassured that God was indeed my refuge and strength.

Reflecting on my evening at the birthday party and my half-question/half-prayer “Am I missing
something?” I believe the answer is No. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul teaches:

“All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration]
and is profitable for instruction,
for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience],
for training in righteousness
[learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and
privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage];
so that the man of God may be complete and proficient,
outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work”
(2 Timothy 3:16-17, Amplified).

In a sermon a few weeks back on going where the Spirit leads you, my pastor talked about the number of young people who come to him asking how they can discern God’s will for their lives. “The short answer,” he said, “is that most of it is written down.”

If I never hear God’s audible voice, I still have the word he breathed right here on my desk – and on my laptop and on my phone – equipping me for every good work. If only I will study and listen to it, the instruction, conviction, correction and training he provides is more than enough.

1 https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/should-we-listen-for-the-audible-voice-of-god

Copyright, Beth Cutter, May 2023

“Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this,
that the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice
that your names are written in heaven.”
Luke 10:20 (italics mine)

Jesus is speaking to the 72 disciples. They are filled with joy because of their doing. It was all good — the kingdom of God was advancing; people were being set free from demonic oppression.

But Jesus offers a correction. Their joy should not reside in what they do; their joy should reside in who they are, their identity.

I can be like those 72 finding joy in my doing. But sometimes my experiences often leave joy lacking, unsatisfied. That joy is misplaced.

When I find my joy lacking, it is a yellow flashing light.

Recently I found my joy lacking in what I perceived as a ministry opportunity. Why were the relationships taking so long? Do they want a relationship? Do they not realized the wisdom I have to offer? Do you hear the pride? UGH!

Lies are self-limiting beliefs reinforced by the filters through which I see life.
Lies tend to control and manipulate.

There are certain lies that entrap and manipulate me. My filter tends to be that my worth is determined by my doing. Not so! But, I’m susceptible. The same lies keep popping up in new situations. The new situations call for new applications of truth.

In my devotions, I often look at those lies and the truth that counteracts them. As I pray, God, what does it look like to trust truth in this situation, I hear the truths in new light.

In that recent situation, God reminded me of joy. Luke 10:20 came to mind and Jesus’ admonition became personal. Sue, where is your joy, in your doing or in your identity?

Jesus endured the cross for the joy of a relationship with me, with you. Hebrews 12:2
The angel’s message to Mary was described as good news of great joy. Luke 2:10
God rejoices in our identity like the metaphor of a bridegroom and a bride. Isaiah 62:5
John the Baptist knew his joy was like that of the one who stands with the groom. John 3:29

Over and over the message is clear, rejoice in my relationship with God, my identity as a beloved child — not in my doing!

“These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself.
The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is
that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God’s eyes,
called the beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting embrace.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen

Sometimes my emotions have a hard time lining up with truth. For myself, I KNOW I need to regularly bring those lies that are feeding the feelings into the light and apply the salve of truth! I (we) need to receive truth from God. I need to rejoice in my identity.

Copyright: Sue Tell, April 2023

 

 

 

 

I’m a gramma, a communicator, a lover of hospitality, a writer, a cross-generational friend, a neighbor, an extrovert, and more. My husband says telephone is my spiritual gift which I sometimes supplement with texting. I love ministry, our church, and traveling with my husband. And Bill sometimes rolls his eyes!

Do you see the common denominator? I am a connector and I am also a finite being. Finite beings need limits!

“We praise you, O Lord, for our limits!
Limits you have given us for our good and for your glory.
…
we praise you for the boundaries of our beings!
You have made us finite creatures
that we might be held and known.”
Every Moment Holy, p. 65

“The LORD bless you and keep you;” are the first words of the famous Priestly blessing that the Lord entrusted to Moses to speak over the people of Israel. Numbers 6:24.

The remaining chapters of Numbers clarifies to Moses (“The Lord spoke to Moses …” is recorded 47 times) who communicates to the people the specifics of how this blessing will become reality.

“The LORD spoke to Moses …
Command the people of Israel,
When you enter the land of Canaan (the promised land) …
as defined by its borders,”
Numbers 34:1,2 (italics mine)

God not only imposes borders on lands, he created us with borders too. Limits for our good and His glory.

Ben and Alayna are our good friends. Ben is an introvert; Alayna is an extrovert. In these first years of marriage they are learning how to navigate that reality. Their people limits are very different. Ministry is their career — a highly peopled career.

They share the same calling and the same heart to serve God.

As an introvert, Ben is very aware of his people capacity. His chosen career causes him to be with lots of people. And he knows his limits and works hard at living within those boundaries. He understands that following a full day with others, he needs to retreat to their spare bedroom, be alone, play his guitar, and recharge.

Alayna’s people limits are much larger. She can meet a friend for coffee in the morning; workout at the gym in the afternoon connecting with friends there; lead a Bible study on campus in the evening; return home and look forward to de-briefing with Ben.

“For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.”
Psalm 139:13, 14

Although God created Ben and Alayna with opposite strengths, they are both committed to the scriptures. God knitted them together and drew them in marriage for their good and His glory. But the application of how that is lived out is very different. It’s been a good journey for them.

My husband is an introvert; I am an extrovert. We understand Ben and Alayna’s journey.

As we’ve navigated a similar path, and learned to respect each other’s limits, a few practices we follow are …

* Honoring each other’s giftings. Bill defers hospitality to me.
* Submit to each other’s strengths. Sometimes Bill laughs at my wanting to decorate for minor holidays, but he always supports it.
* Communicate lots; not assuming we’re on the same page.
* Knowing times when we can push each other’s limits; and times when we need to hold back.
* Remembering we’re both finite beings in the hands of an infinite God.
* Learning to be thankful for each other’s uniqueness.

“I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but your commandment is exceedingly broad.”
Psalm 119:96

What have you learned about living with others with different strengths than yours?

 

Copyright:  Sue Tell, May 2023

 

 

This scripture has anchored my prayer life for my husband, Bill and more lately for me as well — that God would bring together our hearts and our skills as we minister.

I first wrote about this over a year ago in the winter. And then again last fall. Now a springtime post.

God continues to define Psalm 78:72 for me.

First the concept of capacity caught my attention. I don’t have unlimited capacity. My heart and my skill need to be mitigated by capacity. And my capacity is changing.

As I was sharing this at a workshop last fall, her comment helped define capacity. She offered, A question I ask myself when a new opportunity arises is “Will I have the ability to sustain what I start?” Sustainability added a deeper dimension to capacity.

Then my phone call with Pat a few months ago. Oh how we need the wisdom of those a few years ahead of us! I’ll be forever thankful!

Pat and I first met when we both lived in Illinois and attended the same church. A significant part of their ministry was the families in the church.

Pat was a teacher and with her husband spent summers in northern Minnesota. Bill and I were on our first ministry assignment, The University of Illinois.

They were part of the leadership team at our church. I looked up to them AND I wondered, how can they leave their ministry field for a whole summer?

Actually I judged them. Ouch! Oh how little that 20-something understood!!

As we talked recently, Pat brought up the concept of responsibility. In that moment I knew I had heard from God.

Responsibility was another piece of the puzzle helping me to understand Psalm 78:72. My heart and my skill, besides being tempered by capacity and sustainability, also needed to be tempered by responsibility.

What are the responsibilities God has entrusted me with
that need to be taken into account
when considering other opportunities?

And to carry out well my God-given responsibilities, I need to follow the example of Jesus., and of Pat. Often recorded in the gospels are incidences when Jesus left the crowds, left ministry opportunities, and went away to enjoy and be refreshed by the presence of God.

“Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”
Mark 6:31

That’s what northern Minnesota was for Pat. That’s what our sanctuary is for us. But sometimes I forget. I need Pat’s to remind me.

Responsibilities can only be carried out well
when they are the overflow of times of rest.

If your output exceeds your input, then your upkeep will be your downfall.”

I’m looking forward to recharging our spiritual batteries this summer, so I can enter the fall ready to live out my heart and my skill tempered by my capacity, ability to sustain, and the responsibilities God has already given. Thank you, Pat!

 

If you want to look back at previous posts on Psalm 78:72, the archives will get you there.

A Colorado Winter Morning, January 27, 2022
The Simplicity and Beauty of Gospel Friendships, September 29, 2022

Copyright: Sue Tell, May 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m excited to share with you a devotional my good friend Kirstin Newmaster wrote and shared at a women’s retreat.

 

I sent it ahead to a few friends to whet your appetite. First, their words.

 

 

“Kirstin’s words on confession were so powerful! In her brief talk she presented the need and benefits of confessing our sins to one another, using clear scriptural teaching and even a fun illustration, to encourage us to shine a light on the sin that we struggle with as we relate to one another. I found her words refreshing and freeing as I look at my own need to walk in the light.”
Carolyn Eden

“I very much appreciated the insights Kirstin shared regarding confession and our identity. Rather than viewing Christian maturity as being in control of my sin, Kirstin, explains that as a misunderstanding of maturity: it is not self-effort, rather sooner and sooner bringing my yuck into the light that is a mark of maturing spiritually. And, love is the marker of my growth.”
Diane McIntyre

“Kirstin offers a compelling reminder of the power of living in the light of Jesus with safe, trusted others. She doesn’t shy away from James’ insistent words regarding our need to confess our sins to one another, and gives us hope that it actually leads to our maturing and increases our love for one another. You may even want to read it more than once.”  Kathy Lorimor

When Kirstin shared her words with me, I knew I wanted to share them with you. Thank you Kirstin for generously granting permission.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Confession
Kirstin’s title
“Confess to one another that you may be healed.” James 5:16

I love this theme of “one another.” The phrase “one another” is used 100 times in the New Testament? God cares deeply about how we relate with each other!

Last night you looked at sharpening one another and the role that conflict plays in relationships. Conflict can destroy or perfect. Let’s not waste the opportunity to be impacted by and influence each other.

Today we’re going to look at confessing to one another. This is an act of bringing my yucky out into the light. And it’s not a one time deal. It’s something we’re going to do over and over in our lives.

To talk about confession, we’re going to talk about this concept of light. Living in the light. I want to show you a clip showing one creature’s response to light.

https://www.tiktok.com/@m.tothea.d.i/video/7050348443885194497

When I was a kid, I used to love making my dog chase the flashlight on the wall. It was hilarious! The dog never was going to catch the light. But did that stop the dog? Nope. The light just drove it crazy!!! It wanted to be in the light as much as possible. Usually he was trying to eat it.

I was going to show you a video of what a cockroach does when you turn the light on, but cockroaches give me the heebie jeebies. Suffice it to say, cockroaches are nocturnal so you turn a light on and they go running for the dark!

Which are you attracted to: darkness, or light?

Let’s look at 3 passages of scripture. One at the beginning of the Bible; one kind of in the middle, and one toward the end. Let’s start at the end.

1 John 1:5 says “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

There is no hiding for God. When something is in the light, it can be seen. It can be known.

In the first chapter of the Bible, light is the first thing God creates. It’s the first thing that God calls “good.” Then He created people in His image. Part of the implications of that is that we are made to thrive in the light. Especially community. Our relationships are made to thrive when we are honest & known.

I see this both in 1 John and Genesis. 1 John 1:7 says our fellowship is directly related to being honest and known: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

In Genesis 2:25 we see a relationship that’s in the light. Adam and Eve were both naked and unashamed, kind of like that baby in the video. Oh how I long for the freedom to be unashamed like that. That’s how we were made to be. Seen and unashamed. Known and loved. I ache for that, to be fully known and fully loved. But what happened? Sin came into the picture and ruined their experience of the light. It drives to hiding. Hiding happened when they first experienced shame — the concept that something is bad about me and I need to hide. If it was known, I would not be loved.

And John 3 makes a really devastating observation. “and this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” v. 19

We prefer to hide and wallow in our sin. That is always driven by shame and sometimes by fear.

What keeps me hiding in the darkness?

1. If I was known, I wouldn’t be loved.
2. I should be in control of my sin.
3. My sin is tied to who I am.

These lies are a misunderstanding of what defines my identity and maturity.

IDENTITY – In order to confess my sin and bring it to the light, I need to know, deep down, that my behavior no longer defines who I am. That’s why in the same chapter Jesus says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned.” John 3:17,18

Condemnation is to have my identity based on what I do or don’t do. In general that’s how the world works! Someone who steals is identified as a thief. Someone who teaches is identified as a teacher. Someone who fails is now a failure. But in Jesus, our behavior is no longer evidence of our identity. This is a big deal! This really matters when it comes to dealing with our sin, bringing it to the light so that we can experience the healing, fellowship, and goodness that God says the light is!

Who does God say you are? A SAINT! He says you are righteous. He says you are precious and with great value.

This is your evidence for who you are, not your sins. Sin is evidence that you’re human, that you need others. It’s an opportunity for you to experience love through humility and trust.

HUMILITY – As I believe this concept that my sins no longer define who I am, I will begin to trust God and others with me. That is a really good definition of humility, trusting God and others with me. And as I believe that my sin no longer defines me, it will free me to admit it to God and others sooner and sooner when I am tempted.

Confession is an act of humility. It is trusting who I really am on the inside and what I am tempted to believe about myself with another and with God. When I bring even my yuck to the light, that’s confession.

James 5:16 says what to expect when we confess, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other that you may be healed.”

Sin is a damaging force. It requires healing! When I confess sins I’ve done or want to do I am opening myself up to you, trusting you, so you can know me,  love me, and help me heal. You can pray for me. You can help me identify the shame that is triggered in me that gives me permission to sin, because that shame is what I really need healing from.

So, that knocks off that lie that my sin is connected to who I am. But there’s also this lie that I should be in control of my sin by now. And that’s a misunderstanding of maturity.

Typically a misunderstanding of the verse in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Self-effort is NEVER the way of escape. You know what is? Confession. Choosing – at any point in the shame cycle – to shine light on it.

MATURITY – What if sinning less wasn’t a marker of my spiritual maturity? What if confessing it sooner is? Sin isn’t a three step process. I typically think of sin as “temptation, sin, repentance.” But it’s a whole lot more complicated.

First it starts to grow as an option in your mind. Then it starts to feed into your shame, lies about who you are. It starts to promise good for you, that it would offer a solution for your shame.

But after the sin act you start to feel the need to hide, to justify, to blame. Ultimately it reinforces the lie you were believing to be true about yourself.

So if we don’t deal with the shame and the lie I am believing, the sin keeps coming up over and over. It’s so hard to repent of habitual sin. We think, “I’ve already dealt with this! Have I not grown at all? I must really be _______.” That’s why self-effort is not the way of escape. It only reinforces our shame story.

But God doesn’t say that the marker of maturity is sinlessness. “By this all men will know you are my disciples – by how you love one another.” John 13:35.

Love is the marker of my growth, not sinning less. So if instead of fearing confessing sin once again, I celebrated every time I brought sin to the light one step sooner than last time. Because that act of humility, trusting someone else with me, is an act of love. An act of maturity.

When you think of maturity, think of the sound  of clicking on a flashlight. Let it remind you of humility, confessing shame, confessing sin. Choosing to click on the light is not marker that I’m  messed up and struggling once again — it’s a marker that I’m growing! I’m choosing to come into the light ASAP! Celebrate that.

Remember those three lies that were keeping me in the darkness:

1. If I was known, I wouldn’t be loved. 1 John 1:7 – Fellowship happens in the light – you cannot be loved without being known.
2. I should be in control of my sin. John 13:35 When you think you are in control of your sin, sin is in control of you. Maturity isn’t sinning less but loving more.
3. My sin is tied to who I am. John 3:17 No condemnation in Jesus! Sin is not the evidence God looks at to define you.

What are you going to find when you turn on the light? 1 John 1:7 says you will find healing and love.

What does this look like for you? What do you fear you will find when you turn this light on and  tell someone the truth about you? Possibly it is one of the three things I mentioned.

When you click on this light, what comes to mind? Is there a sin you need to shine light on? A lie you are believing?

Flashlight verses:

James 5:16

1 John 1:7

John 13:35

I encourage you — find someone you trust and practice clicking this light on. Share a sin that you struggle with. Ask them to pray for you and to help you identify what it is about yourself that you are believing, that is triggering this sin.

Remember, confessing our sins is not a step back in your maturity, it is a step forward. Even if you’ve confessed this sin before. Because choosing to trust and be known is an act of humility and love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What thoughts are swirling in your mind? For those who share in the comments, I’m sending you a little flashlight. We all need reminders.

Have you signed up to follow Echoes of Grace? Those who sign up receive an email from me a few days after the posts usually taking the subject a bit deeper. This week I’m sharing how Kirstin’s words ministered personally to me.

Sue

Copyright: Kirstin Newmaster and Sue Tell, April 2023

I’m so thankful for our church. The Easter worship was glorious. Christ the Lord is Risen today is one of my favorite hymns and our music ministry did a wonderful rendition. I’m thankful for our pastor. His teaching from Matthew 27 and 28 on grasping the power of the resurrection affirmed what I’ve been hearing from God. It was good.

And yet …

Some expectations were not met.
Some desires were not reality.
Some traditions were not duplicated.

Meditating on the third day these last several weeks has been so positive. I’m responding to the resurrection narrative with deeper trust and greater peace.

AND …

I allowed a few un-importants and comparisons to taint my celebration.

“One person esteems one day as better than another,
while another esteems all days alike …”
Romans 14:5

I’m the “one”; Bill is the “another”. This verse describes our marriage.

In my family of origin, Easter was the same as Thanksgiving and Christmas — a time when our large extended family came together. This extrovert loved the chaos of all the aunts and uncles, cousins and second cousins, grandmas and grandpas celebrating together.

My introvert husband grew up in the tradition of holy days being quiet days, a time to kick back and maybe invite one maiden aunt in for dinner.

In Romans 14, Paul is addressing gray areas and the oft misplaced attitudes of the church in Rome whose congregation was half Jewish and half gentile. He exhorts the church to “not to quarrel over opinions.” Romans 14:1. And to remember that God has welcomed the entire church. Romans 14:3. While the scriptures were not written to me, they are  written for me.

I was allowing gray areas to shine too brightly; the un-importants affecting the importants.

“for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking
(or certain family celebrations)
but of righteous and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 14:17, parentheses mine

“So then let us pursue
what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding.”
Romans 14:19

God cares deeply about how we relate. Even those gray areas that can put a stumbling block in the way of another need to be worked through.

And true confession, sometimes bringing my yuck into the light is not a one and done. Will you pray for me that I will believe truth, not let gray areas trip me up, and that I’d remember to walk in love … which always builds up?

How can I be praying for you?

 

Copyright, Sue Tell, April 2023

 

 

Easter has passed. God’s heart for our heart is present. So a few more thoughts from the Easter narrative recorded in Luke.

“Wise men and women are always learning,
always listening for fresh insights.”
Proverbs 18:15, The Message (italics mine)

A suggestion:  Have you read Lent – Continuing the Journey?  

You might want to click back and read it first. This is chapter two of my story based on the words of Luke 22:39-46.

39. “And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives,
and the disciples followed him. 40. And when he came to the place*, he said to them,
‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’
41. And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed,
42. saying, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.
Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’
43. And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.
44. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly;
and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
45. And he rose from prayer,
he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46. and he said to them,
‘Why are you sleeping?
Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.'”

LISTEN

As I listened to this passage, several things called for my attention.

Going to the Garden of *Gethsemane, was Jesus’ habit. Luke knew it was important that we noted, “as was his custom”. Possibly the place wasn’t the important thing, but that Jesus had a habit of prayer.

Jesus invited his friends, his disciples into a sacred space. He came to Gethsemane for time of prayer alone with his Father. A time alone, but a time with his disciples. Once they arrived, Jesus’ words were, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And then he moved a stone’s throw away to be alone. However, a stone’s throw is not far. Had the disciples stayed awake, they would have heard Jesus’ prayer.

Am I listening to Jesus’ words in my times of prayer?

“God speaks in the silence of the heart.
Listening is the beginning of prayer.”
Mother Teresa

ENGAGE

And so I ponder …

What was the temptation Jesus was warning the disciples of?
If Jesus moved only a stone’s throw away, why did he not just stay with the disciples?

NOTICE

Repetitions: Twice Jesus says “Pray that you may not enter into temptation”.
Repetitions signal importance. Was Jesus referring to the importance of staying awake? Was he referring to Peter’s future denial? Or …?

Nevertheless: A seemingly insignificant word. NO! Nevertheless is the bridge between Jesus’ request and his heart. He voluntarily and obediently submitted his will to God’s.

The character of God: “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven strengthening him”: Jesus’ prayer must have pleased God. God affirmed him. Jesus felt invited to pray even more earnestly.

TRUST

What temptation might Jesus want me to be aware of today?
What do I continually hear over and over again from God?
What is the “nevertheless” prayer Jesus is asking me to pray?
Am I experiencing the character of God as I bring my requests to Him?
What does God want me to trust Him with today?

These four principles often anchor my time with God. I wonder, what stands out to you as you listen, engage, notice, and trust God. You might want to spend some time listening to God, practicing these principles through whatever passage you are currently reading.

Copyright: Sue Tell, March 2023

 

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“But on the first day of the week (the third day),
they went to the tomb …
they found the stone rolled away …
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were perplexed …
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?
He is not here, but has risen.
Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men
and be crucified
and on the third day rise.”
And they remembered his words,”
Luke 24:1-8 (italics and parentheses mine)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Third Day in my words

The Third Day
captured the tune of my heart.

The Third Day
focused my faith-stretching journey.

The Third Day
challenged, am I standing in truth?

The Third Day
humbled – the rugged cross for me?

The Third Day
opened my desiring heart.

The third day
perplexed – the stone rolled away.

The Third Day
invited to see the empty tomb.

The Third Day
settled – He is risen; he is risen indeed!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hillsong sings of the third day …

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May your third day celebration bless you in many ways! Happy Easter!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures,”
I Corinthians 15:3 and 4 (italics mine)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Being mesmerized by the third day started toward the beginning of the season of Lent while I was reading Exodus. To start at the beginning of my journey, click here …

Be Ready for the Third Day

Copyright: Sue Tell, March 2023