Theme: Need Some Encouragement?

Can I Talk to You for a Minute, Dad?

Where’s Bob?  Whatever happened to Susan?  Have you seen Gene lately?  That’s how the conversation usually begins about spiritual casualties - people who collapsed under the tension that comes with sorting out discipleship and grace. Integrity, peace, joy, and acceptance got lost on the otherside of baptism.  Their struggle to be “reformatted” in the Spirit soon became a value statement convincing them to buy the lie that God has no need for stumbling journeymen.  Only people who can keep their feet consistently should stay in the journey.  And, there are a lot of Bobs, Susans and Genes out there.  Met one lately?

Spiritual failure is difficult for anybody.  Just ask around.  “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” works well in secular pursuits.  But, what about in the context of faith?  Spiritual failure quickly becomes an issue of our “worth” in God’s eyes.  Trying to sort out the relationship between holiness and grace can wear down anybody.  Know what I mean?  Anybody who has read the bible through once knows the difference between trying and coasting.  Tryers (disciples?) know what to do and reach for it but sometimes fail.  Coasters…well…you know. 

In First John chapter one John reassures his readers of an important truth about God and the gospel, namely that genuine faith cannot be lived compartmentally, i.e., thinking about God in one compartment and living life on my own terms in another compartment.  John says, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness we lie and do not practice the truth.” That’s the message they heard “in the beginning” of their faith journey and, John assures them that message has not changed.  But other voices had put forth a different viewpoint. These persuasive voices redefined God and threw out sin as a concept that had run its course.  Sophisticated thinking dismissed sin as antiquated and backward.  But, John draws a line in the proverbial sand:  If we say that we have not sinned we deceive ourselves….we make God a liar….and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8, 10).  (Unfortunately, that attitude is afoot in our streets not to mention faith circles.  We need John’s message on this point today!)

But, John has another message we need to hear.  Is it possible for us to be “too hard” on ourselves spiritually?  We look at ourselves in the mirror, pause in the middle of prayer, or take the Lord’s Supper and quietly say to ourselves, “How can I do this with a shred of integrity?  I’m a failure!  Loser!  Why would God want to love me?  I’m kidding myself to think God pays attention to a single word that comes out of my mouth in prayer.  When are you going to get it right?”  We take three steps forward only to take two backwards.  And, on and on it goes. 

John has a message we need to hear:  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness… My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2) 

Satan doesn’t want us to reflect on those words.  He wants distance between us and our Father.  And, if he can coax us into accepting a tyrant view of God, our moments of weakness and failure – no matter our heart’s inclination – combine in the form of a spiritual knockout punch. 

John says God is faithful to forgive us.  Moreover, Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins, BUT HE CONTINUES to help us in our struggle against sin.  He is our defense attorney.  He represents us!  But, do we really believe that??

Good parents teach their children to come to them when they have needs.  The last thing we want is for them to get discouraged, give up, go into a shell or run away.  Our heavenly Father is “faithful and righteous”…our defense attorney stands ready to plead our case as those who fall on the mercy of the court through his sacrifice.  It’s a benefit that “tryers” (disciples!) have! 

Are you struggling?  Don’t run away.  Don’t give up.  And, don’t buy the lies that Satan will throw at you when you are flat on your face in the middle of spiritual failure.  Turn to your Father.  Talk to Him.  He will renew your heart.  He promised!  And, that’s why the gospel is good news for everybody. 

Father, thank you for loving us all the way…everyday.  Help us to love you back the same way.  And, guard our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus so that we can stay on the road that leads home.  Because of Jesus….Amen

Randy Daugherty

Stephenville, Texas