Share When you Fail

       Someone brought to attention yesterday something that I had noticed before too, this something has actually had a huge effect on why I write the way I do. What they mentioned was that many Christians writers don't talk about the struggle of choosing faith over flesh. Many will only write about what we be should doing, the laws and their success in it's fulfilment. Where in contrast I share with you my flesh response to the situations, and how with God's help the flesh can be overcome. I have shared with you my past and current failures. And honestly, I do this intentionally because of these other writers because of how I have felt reading those kinds of devotionals and post.
       Before I began writing this blog I spent a lot of time reading blogs and devotionals online, I still do read quite a bit but not as much as this takes up a good bit of my time to do. Sometimes when I would read these devotionals or blog post by others the way they were written would leave me feeling like less, that these people were so righteous and good that I would never please God because I couldn't compare. Instead of reading their post and being encouraged in the Lord, I was beaten down because my walk could never measure up to the standards of these people or what these others were doing. I'll be honest that I did often learn much about scriptures from these post, but I never felt like I could relate to the writer because they were too perfect. These post built my knowledge, but kept me afraid of the throne because I felt undeserving of approaching or serving Him.
       Then I started writing again, and at first I meant for this blog to be an outlet for introducing people to my books, but the Lord had other plans for my writing and took over without me being really aware. When I realized that after just a month or two my posts had moved away from me and my books, onto the Lord I began praying. I told God if this was what He wanted me to do, I would, but I wasn't going to hide my failings. I knew how that type of post had made me feel, and I really didn't see how I could point people to God or encourage their faith when I was un-relatable and not being honest about my thoughts and feelings.  Not long after that I started hearing lots of sermons on sharing our brokenness, on how by hiding our hurts and struggles we were actually doing damage to the church body and causing people to feel alienated, like something was wrong with them or their faith because they struggled, how it was this false ideal that has been portrayed of Christians having a blessed and perfect life that has caused many to turn and run when things get hard. This seemed like confirmation to me and so I have from that point tried to be as honest as I can while still protecting the privacy of my relatives and friends.
       I shared all of that to say, it is important to not be afraid to share when you fail. Don't be afraid to share your struggles. Don't hide the testimony God has given you through that struggle, because someone else needs to hear it or God wouldn't have given you that testimony. The Bible tells us to share in the burdens of our brothers ( Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Galatians 6:2, Romans 15:1), to lift them up (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Corinthians 14:26), but we can't do that when we are hiding behind a mask of false perfection. To help each other heal we must be willing to share the brokenness and how God sees us through, we must be willing to share our struggles against the flesh and how to resist in Jesus' name, and we need to pray for and with each other as we grow and persevere to produce the fruits of the spirit. We need to be willing to be seen for what we all are, a work in process, a lump of clay being formed in the Master Potter's hands. Be Blessed dear brothers and sisters.

Psalm 66:16    
Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul

Psalm 71:15-18

15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long—though I know not how to relate them all. 16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. 17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

2 Corinthians 12:9    
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
 
2 Timothy 1:8-12
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.