Revealing The Whole Truth

We spoke yesterday about having a clean slate.  I was thinking about some of the issues that keep us from coming to God and doing that each day.  I think one of those is that we often feel awkward about bringing our recurring sins before God.  We may be embarrassed by the number of times we have had to deal with the same issues -- those things that we don’t want to do, yet we keep doing over and over again.  What is going on?  Why can’t we beat these things that cause us problems?  What will it take for us to find solid ground on which to build a firm and lasting recovery?

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.  Galatians 5:1

The slogan – “If nothing changes, nothing changes” – is true.  Each time we find ourselves coming back from the “same old failure” we need to reassess what changes we have made and what we are holding back.  We can use this opportunity to let God take us deeper into our buried pain and allow His forgiveness and healing to change our hearts.  We need to ask ourselves what the resentment is, the hatred, the fear, the pain, or the shame that we are seeking to cover with our addictive behaviour.  God offers us comfort for our grief and healing for our hurts, but this freedom requires honesty in what we are willing to reveal and deal with. 

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. James 4:7-8, 10

Prayer:  Gracious God, Help us to do today whatever is needed so we can have that clean slate with You we have been talking about.  We don’t want to just bring part of our lives to You, but all of it.  We don’t want to just whine about what’s gone wrong or what others have done that has disappointed or hurt us but we want to be real about our own behaviours and twisted thoughts and desires.  We want to repent from those things we’ve thought, said, and done that were wrong and turn away from those things.  We want to live as changed people, clean and pure in Your sight.  We turn to you for healing and ask for strength to accept the things we cannot change, and change the things we can, so that we may honour You in all our affairs. Amen