Author: Tina Hunt - Truth Be Told

Tina's writes to inspire. She loves the challenge of a devotion's brevity, a Bible study's clarity, and an article's ability to change lives. Communicating truth, whether written or spoken, defines Tina's passion and purpose.

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“Tooth” Be Told

Insights into Going to the Dentist
(This week my husband lost a crown while eating a piece of licorice—that in itself is probably worth a post of its own—so now he begins the whole process of getting it replaced. His dilemma reminded me of my own experience several years back.  Here’s a piece on what I leanrned.)
 This morning I’m having the first step done in repairing my cracked tooth. To be very honest, I’m not excited about sitting in the dentist chair for an hour and a half. I’m really quite anxious. I lost some sleep over it last night. I’m just not a big fan of pain and even less of a fan of the unknown. In the parlance of the day: I’m a wuss.

As I wrote the preceding paragraph, I ran my tongue over the broken tooth. I cracked this tooth on April 1, nearly three months ago. Actually, I think the tooth had been cracked for six years and the piece just finally gave way. In spring of 2004 I had a cavity replaced and from that point until three months ago I had pain on that side of my mouth whenever I chewed. I think that dentist cracked the tooth when she replaced the filling and I believe that because once that piece gave way, I’ve had no pain on that side and I have no trouble biting or chewing there.

Another thing I became aware of as I ran my tongue over the tooth that is now half gone is that I’ve gotten used to this new shape of my tooth. So, if there’s no pain and I’m used to the odd shape and feel, why go through all the pain to “fix” it? Pondering that made me realize that I do that with a lot of things in my life. I accept less than perfect to avoid the pain of correction. I put up with the difficult rather than addressing the problem and avoiding the conflict. I’m so used to what’s missing it seems natural.

I know that the obvious answer is to take care of this tooth now and avoid larger issues later. Life is that way. Putting off or ignoring what needs to be done doesn’t make sense. In the Bible, James even says that to know what we should do and not do it is sin. So the sin of omission isn’t just about our dealings with others, it’s also how we deal with ourselves, our bodies. Maybe Fram (the auto parts distributors) had the right idea with their motto: Pay me now, or pay me later.

So I will sit in the dentist’s chair for an hour and a half today and again three weeks later. Hopefully, I will save the tooth and avert further problems in the future. I think I’m worth that. Perhaps that’s actually been the real missing piece. It is time to get that fixed.

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Truth Be Told

Lesson Learned: Time Value

(I wrote this reflection several years ago. I smiled when I rediscovered it. I feel like the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the Philippian church about contentment: he saw it as a lesson he was still learning–and I’m still learning this one.)

I ran into the grocery to grab two items: Chinese noodles and upholstery cleaner. I didn’t find the cleaner I wanted so I grabbed the noodles I needed and headed to the check out. There was, of course, only one lane open, but I wasn’t worried, especially since there was only one person ahead of me already in the process of checking out. As I took my place in line the woman checking out apologized to me since she had more items and I, with only one, had to wait.
I looked up at her and smiled. Then I said something to the effect that it was okay to wait. Truth be told: I look forward to the moments which force me to slow down and breathe. Quiet-slow-me-down moments are a blessing not a problem.

Now, to be very honest, I have no idea where that came from. Not long ago I wouldn’t have been able to say anything like that. Life is different now. I contemplated this during lunch recently as I sat on the porch amid flowers, humming bees, and singing birds. I was overcome with a sense of the rhythm of the way life is supposed to be. I looked across the table and was thankful for the 87 year old woman I had the privilege of sharing lunch with. Lunches used to be practically swallowed whole while driving down the road to my next appointment. I neither enjoyed the food nor appreciated the beauty that flew by my window.

I understand now time is far too precious to waste fretting about where I’m to be next. It’s too fragile to stuff to the point of breaking. It’s too fleeting to miss the wonder of being present for the discovery of a child, whether they be a grandchild or the child in you.

My mind had moved on to dinner and a meeting I need to schedule. I had moved on from what I mindlessly said to the shopper ahead of me in line. She turn to me as she moved her cart away from the checkout, and thanked me for my wise advice. She told me she was headed to a meeting with other young moms and that she would be sharing what she heard in our brief encounter. I finished my errands and came home.

Driving home, I decided I needed to put these thoughts on paper. Before I did, I checked a friend’s online diary and found her quote du jour:

“There is no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.”
— Alexander Woollcott

And, there are no unimportant moments, either.

 

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Impossible?

cinderella

One of my favorite musicals is Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. I know it by heart–have since I was a little girl. In High School I sang In My Own Little Corner when I auditioned for Miss Teenage Columbus. And it got me in.

One of the other songs is between Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother. Fairy Godmother is preparing Cinderella for the ball, but Cinderella declares that it’s impossible! Fairy Godmother’s response, “Impossible things are happening every day. It’s possible.”

That song and the promise from Luke 1:37 that nothing is impossible for God have shaped my faith.

Truth be told: I sing the song from Cinderella as often as I sing, Trust and Obey.

Are there things in your life you have either felt were impossible, or maybe others have told you would be impossible for you to accomplish? I understand how that feels.

But I’ve also seen God accomplish things way beyond what I could ask or imagine.  That’s another one of his promises. It came from the pen of the Apostle Paul and is recorded in his letter to the Ephesians:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…(Ephesians 3:20, NIV).

Luke’s promise of nothing being impossible for God is tucked into the story of Mary being told she would conceive and give birth to the Savior of the world. Her response? “May it be to me as you have said.”

What impossible thing do you sense God wanting to do in you and through you?

What will your response be?

dream-big

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Fill ‘Er Up

A pastor friend of mine had come through a really rough stretch and was reexamining his call. A counselor shared a powerful image with him. She asked if he had ever flown on a commercial plane. He had. She went on to remind him of the spiel the fly attendants go through about the airplane. The point of her story was the part of the spiel where the oxygen mask falls from the ceiling.

WP airplane air mask

Do you remember what they tell the passengers? It goes like this: Secure your own mask before helping others.

Truth be told: we’re not much good to others if we don’t take care of ourselves.

Recently I saw meme floating around on Facebook. I made one like it for myself using one of the mugs I typically use in my office:

empty cup.jpg

This is such a simple message, but we do a great job of ‘boogering’ it up.

We wonder why we have nothing to write about. We blame the absence of our muse. Grouse about writer’s block. When the truth is we’ve done little to fill our spiritual, emotional, and physical cup.

God’s promise is that our cup will be overflowing. You’ll find that in Psalm 23:5.

filling cup

So what can we do to make sure our cup is full?

~Spend regular time mining in the Word.

Living on 30 second devotions is like trying to exist on fast food. Definitely not in our best interest long term.

~Spend time getting to know the One whose message you hope to convey.

Get beyond the introduction and figure out what He’s all about.

~Associate with others whose cups are overflowing and then find those whose cups are empty and bring them along.

And that’s just a few for starters. Make your own list…and do it!

I searched and read several articles and scrolled through a Google feed about how long a person can live without water. The consensus was there’s no way to generalize or quantify given the vast differences in our physical make up, but most “experts” agree a person will only last few days.

Why would we choose to test the evidence? Why would we choose to pour from an empty cup?

We are not much good to others, and neither is our writing, if we’re not taking care of ourselves.

Take time. Make time. Fill up!

unsplash.coffee cup

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Sober Judgment

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment. Romans 12:3

I love to watch people. Airports provide ample to feed my odd obsession.

passenger-silhouettes-at-airport

Recently on a cross country flight I observed people who travel a lot get preferential treatment. They get to board early and have first dibs on the best seats. Traveling many miles can earn you free tickets, or even the privilege of sitting up front in First Class.

I maybe travel twice a year. Usually it’s to fly to visit my mom in Arizona. I’ve never been in first class. I usually get stuck in the middle seat.

Contrary to what you might be thinking, I do not begrudge frequent flyers their perks. I might envy their obvious confidence while I stress over details they obviously take for granted. Maybe when I grow up…

Truth be told, there is something that does bug me. The arrogant attitude of those who look down on those of us stuck in Zone 2, 3, or 4. They roll past us with their fancy luggage, expecting us to part before them like the Red Sea.

As I sat there watching and waiting, I couldn’t help but think about a recent sermon I preached on this very topic. Part of me wished I had considered this image, but then I felt the Spirit nudge.

plank-n-speck

Before I decide to get all judgmental, I should probably check for the log in my own eye. Their condescension and arrogance is not a license for me to feel better about my simplicity and humility.

Thinking that made me chuckle out loud. I couldn’t help but remember how irritating it was when one of my children would misbehave and the other would get all cute and be sure to inform me how much better they were acting.

I was doing the same thing, and it didn’t feel good.

I picked up my phone and texted my husband: I think next time I travel I’m going to wear my covering.

FullSizeRender

I am the pastor of a Church of the Brethren. Many of the women still wear a head covering, primarily at Love Feast. I wear mine whenever I lead in worship in recognition of whose authority I am under. (Mine isn’t traditional. It was made for me by a dear friend.)

Sitting in the airport I began to wonder if I needed to be more aware that I am under that same authority whether I am preaching or not.

The answer was and is a resounding: Yes!

To think of myself “with sober judgment” results in seeing me the way God sees me. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, but that isn’t reason to gloat—all His creatures and creation can claim the same thing.

So whether I’m in the back or the front of the plane, bus, church, or line at Walmart, I need to be sure I’m not thinking I’m better than anyone…or worse.

 

How about you? Any planks or arrogance cluttering up your judgment? Perhaps it’s time to sober up.

 

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Aromas

“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” (2 Corinthians 2:15, NIV)

A3 aromas.smells

I used to work in a gas station convenience store.  I always knew when it was 3:15 because a certain woman came to buy a cappuccino on her way to work and she wore a distinctive perfume.  After spending a shift in a stale aired place catching her scent always made me smile.

Not every smell was quite as pleasant.  I knew when the vet students came in from the farms.  I knew when the stoners were making a run for munchies.  I knew when the newspaper delivery guy who was a chain smoker walked into the shop.  And don’t get me started on the bathrooms.

A3 aromas.bread

Smells are incredibly powerful and can evoke all kinds of emotions.  Experts tell us that before a child can ever really distinguish her mother’s face she knows her mother’s smell.

All kinds of memories can be evoked by the smell of homemade bread fresh from the oven or chocolate chip cookies right off the pan. These aromas are so powerful, home sellers are encouraged to recreate these pleasant smells in their homes when prospective buyers are touring.

On the other hand, people can be very sensitive to smells.

It is considered selfish and inconsiderate in social settings for people to wear fragrances due to allergies and extreme sensitivities.  What was once thought to be pleasant and appropriate can now result in exacerbating asthma attacks.  I love my husband’s aftershave but I can’t convince him that less is better.  He seems to be unable to smell a single spritz so he crosses a line into overkill and overpower.

So, how does that fit in with Paul’s teaching about our being the aroma of Christ?

Walking into our home recently, I was immediately drawn to the kitchen by a wonderful smell.  My husband had marinated some salmon and was baking it in the oven.  The smell made me salivate and envision a very delicious dinner.

While we were eating, our younger daughter stopped by to drop something off. Two steps into the house and she immediately screwed up her nose, and complained about the awful fishy smell.  How could it be both?

Truth be told: even spiritually, aromas will draw and repel.

Our lives as believers will leave an impression.  For some, it will be pleasant.  For others, however, it will be considered stench.

We can be considerate to not overpower, but we cannot afford to allow political correctness or social convention to rob us or dilute the truth of who we are in Christ.

Be sensitive but always be sweet in the eyes of God.

A3 aromas.how do you smell

 

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Timely

My husband knows when to walk in the door with an apple fritter.  Not that there is ever a bad time, but over the course of our nearly forty years of marriage he has acquired the ability to know when I need one the most.  I thank God for giving him that gift.

I’m also thankful God is “on time” with his gifts.  Reading in Hebrews this morning, I came upon this verse: “So let us keep on coming boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, ISV) I noticed few things I hadn’t seen before.

First, we are invited to come boldly.  Family is bold, guests are not.  Have you ever noticed that difference?  Guests still ask to use something in your home.  Family walks up to the refrigerator and drinks right out of the milk jug.  Okay, maybe not at your house, but they do at mine.  The point is: there is a certain timidity with being a guest.  You stay on your best behavior for fear of being ousted.

Family, on the other hand, has a “comfortability” that by-passes conventionality and operates with a freer boldness.  God has invited us into his family and wants us to move with greater confidence when it comes to bringing our needs before him.

Truth be told: he already knows what they are.

You try to anticipate your guests’ needs and provide accordingly, but you don’t know for sure what they need until they ask. And often, they won’t ask.

God knows all of our needs and he’s waiting for us to ask.

In this verse, it seems he’s telling us to stop acting like guests and ask for what we need with the confidence. The confidence that comes from knowing the One being asked.

And then there is the little phrase: “in our time of need.”

Some translations use an image of seasonable help.  While God has the ability to supply all your needs (Phil. 4:19), he doesn’t just dump on you.  It’s a bit like the manna God provided to the wanderers in the wilderness.  It came fresh every morning and they were to take enough for that day, otherwise it would spoil (and it was a rotten spoilage).

Jesus, when he was teaching his disciples to pray, picked up on this when he taught them to ask for their daily provision, their daily bread.

We’re a funny people.  Let the weather gurus forecast a big storm and the food flies off the grocery shelves like there’s not going to be a tomorrow.  It becomes a first come, first hoard nightmare.

God doesn’t work that way.  He will give grace and mercy when you need it—never too early, never too late.

So whether it’s a timely delivered apple fritter, a call from a friend, a job prospect, or an unexpected windfall, we can know that God will be right on time for our every need.

A3 timely.God's time

 

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Unplugged

Have you ever considered how spoiled we are by electricity.

Instant light.  Ready power.

I remember when my husband and I looked at potential houses to buy. One of the things I checked for was the outlets: how many and where they were in all the rooms.  Over the years my opinion has become: there are never enough.

Recently I read several articles emphasizing our need to “go green”, including unplugging items not in use.  Chargers, radios, lamps, even computer printers that wait for our instant use were described by one author as “electrical vampires.”  The amounts of drainage were not high on their own, but when put together in households, neighborhoods, and communities become staggering.

I went through my home unplugging the unnecessary, and  began to wonder what was sapping my spirit?  I thought of the warning in Hebrews: “It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.” (Hebrews 12:1, The Message)

Truth be told: I’m not getting any younger—physically or spiritually.

My birthday is just around the corner.  Getting older has not been easy: my body doesn’t respond like it used to.  I haven’t done a good job of listening to it either.  I’ve let far too many pounds creep on, somehow justified each and every one of them.  There are tests that my doctor wants me to have because of my age I have been putting off.  I need to update my glasses and get my teeth cleaned.  I put them off by claiming financial prudence, when in fact it is foolishness and poor stewardship to not take care of this amazing physical machine—we truly are fearfully and wonderfully made.

This awareness has me drinking Danactive and taking Omega3 in addition to my other vitamins and minerals.  So I’m trying to get better at taking care physically.  How do I go green spiritually?  I keep coming back to this “unplugging” idea.  I’m wondering about what “parasitic sins” are attacking me and sucking out my spirit.

A3 unplugged.heart

So, maybe I’ll search the rooms of my spirit like I searched and counted outlets. I’m going to ask God to open the eyes of my heart (Ephesians 1:18). It’s time to kick the Spirit suckers to the curb, no room in my life for spiritual fat or parasitic sins.

How about you?

 

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Keep Those Batteries Charged!

I love my spin toothbrush. My teeth just feel cleaner.

The other day I was surprised when it stopped working. What I hadn’t realized was it had been dying for days. Slowly slowing down…until it just…stopped.

I stood there at the sink holding my fancy toothbrush that was no longer fancy. I tried to finish brushing, but it just wasn’t right without the power.

How had I managed all those years without it?

Power is like that. We don’t tend to realize how much we have until it’s gone. And it doesn’t go away all at once.

No. It slowly disappears. Bit by bit. Little by little. Until it’s gone.

I’ve noticed this happening more as the years go by. Physically, I have less energy. And it doesn’t take near as long for the reservoirs to be depleted.

And it happens spiritually, too.

We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? (Hebrews 2:1-3a, HSCB)

Truth be told: We can’t.

Either way you want to look at it: it’s easy to drift and hard to hold on. Schedules fill up. Days are spent on the run. And I don’t know about you, but I blinked and lost this entire year. Then before we know it we have neglected our spiritual lives and like the Ephesians have left our first love (see Revelation 2:4).

As I considered using the Hebrews text, I noticed for the very first time the instruction is to not merely pay attention, but we are counseled to pay even more attention.

Going through the motions is not enough. The NIV translation paints the clearest instruction, “we must pay the most careful attention.” I imagine there will be as many different ways that will happen as there are believers. I’ve got my list, do you?

Here’s what I believe, if we become more intentional in our attention we will be less likely to find ourselves with spiritually dead batteries drifting away.

Now if you’ll excuse me I need to hunt for some AAA batteries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pleasing Our Neighbor

Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor. (Romans 15:2, NRSV)

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. (Galatins 1:10, NLT)

Truth be told: The Bible confuses me sometimes. The two verses above, for example. Am I supposed to please people or not? I want to be God’s servant, so how do I know what to do?

The solution: read the verses in context.

In the Romans passage, Paul is speaking to the issue of putting the needs of others first. This is most clear when he uses the example of Jesus putting the needs of others before his own and is echoed in his writing to the Philippians (see Philippians 2:5-8).

On the other hand, Paul’s words to the Galatians referred to his motivation for preaching. If his message was merely “pleasing” or entertaining instead of edifying the listener and glorifying to God, then he would cease to fulfill his calling and fail to be God’s servant. Paul refers back to this in his other correspondence to the churches and to Timothy (see 2 Timothy 4:2).

I think this tension can be a struggle for writers and speakers. Who do we please, reader, congregation, editor, agent, publisher…God?

We would all probably agree that God is primary, but what about the rest? Where do we find balance?

Doing the loving thing for and to my neighbor, or audience, will build their faith and please God. God asks no more and no less.

PRAYER: Let my words and actions demonstrate my desire to please you, God, and in the process strengthen the faith of my neighbor. Amen.

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Over or Under?

Over or Under?

Have you fought this battle in your house?

In our home, my wonderful husband has deferred to my preference. I’ve heard though, that such benevolence is not experienced in every home.

Can you imagine that this simple item can cause fights and feuds?

So I had to laugh, when at a conference I visited the church bathroom, and saw this. What a marvelous solution!

Can it be there is no right or wrong way, just preference? And could that extend beyond the bathroom to other areas of life?

Truth be told: more relationships are broken over opinion and preference issues than we might believe.

Team loyalty, music styles, hair length, work, clothing, tattoos. And the list goes on and on.

And just like the toilet paper: is it really worth the battle?

The best piece of parenting advice I ever got turned into the best advice in every situation where I have relationships with other people…which is just about everywhere:

PICK YOUR BATTLES

Are you sure that argument is worth a war?

I have a plaque on my desk to help me weigh my responses. It’s been attributed to many different authors, but whoever said it got it right…in my opinion.

In matters of faith–unity. In matters of opinion–liberty. In all things–charity.

So, will it be over or under for you? Or does it really matter?

 

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With the Right Bait

Truth Not Lies Board Showing Honesty

I was browsing my local paper and right in the middle of the classified section I spied this teaser:

With the right bait…you can catch anything!

Truth be told: what works in advertising works for devotions, too.

Grabbing the reader’s attention depends on a well baited hook. And a good fisher knows which hook and bait to use based on the fish they hope to catch.

I had a group critique several of my devotions and I quickly saw how different hooks and bait catch different fish.

One devotion likened our all-out enthusiasm for God to a baseball player stealing home. The women in the crowd swam right by, but the one man in the group felt like someone saw he was there and he took the bait to his soul’s delight.

As a pastor, I want a devotion that takes me to a deeper place, so hook me with the name of a noted theologian or even a definition from the original Bible language.

My husband doesn’t use worms when he fishes. He prefers leftover macaroni and cheese. He says the fish like it because it’s unusual, it grabs their attention, and it tastes good.

 

1

So who do you want to catch?

You can catch anything with right bait.

 

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What If?

We rarely know what someone else is going through. People don’t usually wear signs announcing their need.

Do you realize you could be the favor, the blessing, the encouragement, the hope, the answer to someone’s prayers?

How many times, in desperation or despair, have we pleaded with God for one thing to sustain our faith? One blessing to whet our weary soul? One encouraging word? And there it was.

A meme pops up on Facebook. A card comes in the mail. A coffee invitation is extended out of the blue with a friend.

Does it change our day? Of course. And most of the time we are grateful beyond words.

But what if the individual who extended that gift had ignored the nudge to reach out?

What about as a writer, ever ignored the Spirit’s nudge? Opted not to put pen to the thought?

Bought into the thinking, “Why bother?”

Maybe we hold back from sharing because in our mind we don’t see it as a whole article or devotion. Maybe it feels like an unfinished thought.

Really. What difference can it make?

What if when the leper approached Jesus and declared both his need and faith by telling Jesus he could heal him if was willing, and Jesus opted not to say those two amazing words: I’m willing.

What if when God told Anannias to go meet with Paul, he had opted to believe the negative opinion about the Christian killer and stayed home?

What if Paul had taken the easy road instead of the road to Rome that led to his death?

Truth be told: the difference we can make is worth the effort, and then some.

What if you keep that word of inspiration to yourself?

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Planting the Seed

Devotions: Seeds to Grow Faith

I still have a copy of the first sermon I ever preached. Imagine trying to cram the entire gospel message and journey of faith into a fifteen minute talk. I did that because I thought I was supposed to. I knew nothing about the crafting of a message or the necessary research, and even less about the dynamics of preaching to people of different ages and developmental stages of faith.

The only reason the congregation tolerated my bumbling presentation was it was expected of them to put up with the kids leading one service a year.

Expectations and assumptions can be just as detrimental to the process of writing devotions.

Think about it. I’m already over 100 words and I haven’t made the point I want to make in this article. That would be half of the typically allotted words for most devotional publications.

There are many who debate the Twitter mentality of such limitations. Can anything good thing come in such a small package?

What are the advantages to a five minute—or less—devotion?

Truth be told: even in our time crunched culture, there’s a least time to plant a seed.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6, NIV)

Without the planting there will be no growth, no fruit, no harvest.

We’re living in a cut to the chase climate. People want sound bites and essentials.
So what are the essentials of a good devotion?

A scripture verse linked to a relatable story, finished with an application, and sealed with a prayerful thought. These are ingredients that grow great faith.

And what can be done with a seed?

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20b, NIV)

What seeds will you plant today?

 

 

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God in a Booger

Truth Not Lies Board Showing Honesty

“Mom, I think Tina could make a sermon illustration out of a booger.”

I saw the two of them giggling back in their pew as I delivered my sermon that morning. When service was over I cornered my friend and asked what she and her daughter found so humorous, since I obviously missed the joke.

She told me what her daughter said, and I couldn’t help but giggle myself.

Truth be told, I do believe we can find a spiritual implication and application in everything.

Isn’t that what Jesus did?

He wanted to make a point and the nearest thing at hand was a wineskin, or a woman’s sewing. As he walked the paths teaching a team of oxen, a fig tree, or an ear of corn became the vehicle to explain a truth.

Over and over Jesus called attention to the obvious and everyday things around him to point to the truth of God.

Look around you. What do you see? A leaf, a car, a baby? What do you hear? A siren, a bird song, a laugh?

Do you see God? He’s there. He wants to be seen. He wants to be shared.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 29:13-14a, NIV)

Oh, and just to relieve your wonderment: I’ve never preached about a booger!

[bctt tweet=”A sermon illustration out of a booger?#messgae #mess” via=”no”]

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Your Mess May Be Your Message

Shame is an incredible de-motivator.

Shame whispers questions and breathes doubt into our hearts and minds, stifling our creativity and limiting what God wants to say through us to others.

Truth be told: I know this because this demon did a nasty number on me for several years.

Thankfully, I’ve done some major work on my thinking in this area and God has lavished his balm of grace to my heart and mind. Still, it is a weak spot the enemy likes to attack.

When he does I have two tools to remind me he doesn’t get to win.

First, is a little picture I keep on my desk as a constant reminder. It was a gift from a seminary professor many years ago.

The brown tape spots in the corners might bother some people, but they remind me how it has reminded me in different places and times over the years.

I found the other reminder while writing a book about the Prodigal Family. The Christian faith is full of people who understand the battle with shame. And the Book we revere, the Bible, tells their stories.

The next time you feel like God can’t use you, just remember………..

Noah was a drunk

Abraham was too old

Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
John the Baptist ate bugs
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer

…AND
Lazarus was dead!

Now, no more excuses.
God can use you to your full potential.
Besides you aren’t the message,
You are just the messenger.

I wish I knew who wrote this. I would like to thank them.

There are many ways to use the ugly, shame-filled parts of our lives to bring healing and redemption.

You mess may be your message. Will you be the messenger?

[bctt tweet=”Shame is an incredible de-motivator. #writer #novel” via=”no”]