Wednesday, June 10, 2009

honesty

I admire honesty in people, even when it hurts. My post this morning reflected honesty that could have been misunderstood as me having a sin issue with pornography. Not so, thank God! I simply was listing that as an afterthought behind drugs and alcohol.

But I do have my issues, and sometimes they can get you down. Anxiety, frustration, despair; these all can get me down. Yet I've learned not to let them take me out, and more and more reckon on the truth in Jesus that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12). So that I've seen God move in and through me during times I've felt broken in myself. Such as this past Sunday at the nursing home, when I prayed to be filled with the Spirit while we were singing. And the Lord in his grace gave us a wonderful time in song and in his word.

And of course as we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

As my good blogger friend Allan Bevere commented, on what I posted this morning, "It is always best to be on guard, but to always remember that the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives can conquer anything, if we are willing." How very true!

This might be my weakest post ever, but it's simply meant to say that while I know I don't have it all together, I'm not living in defeat, either.

10 comments:

Halfmom said...

I think that what we forget is that it is just as easy to fall in areas of unguarded strength as it is in guarded weakness, maybe moreso.

Good thoughts

Anonymous said...

i did not get around to reading the last post, sorry.

good to hear about the nursing home time.

Lanny said...

Amen! We are not defeated, or held captive as slaves to sin any longer!

Ted M. Gossard said...

Susan,
I'll have to think more on your good thought- certainly true. We can let up where we think we're all right or doing well, and we can be sure that we open ourselves up to self-deception, and the devil's working when we do.

Reminds me of Moses who after displaying some unruly anger when he was young, became the meekest man on earth, only to fall back into anger later, in disobeying the Lord's command when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it, so that he could not enter the Promised Land.

Thanks!

Ted M. Gossard said...

nAncY,
Yes. It was an encouraging time. I was just as encouraged as they were.

Thanks.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Lanny,
Amen to that! Your words echo well Romans 6 and 8.

L.L. Barkat said...

honesty... is realizing... how frail... I am... and will... always be

Ted M. Gossard said...

L.L.,
So very true, and nicely framed in your poet like comment.

Yes, I'm reminded of that in my experience daily.

Thanks!

Litl-Luther said...

Ted,
I hope no one hastily condemned you when they thought you had issues with pornography. I know a couple Christian guys who struggle with that. But the pride of some Christians who God has spared from that sin issue can be just as insidious.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Triston,
Amen to that, brother! We'd better be in fear and trembling thanking God that we're not prey to it, or any other sin that by nature will take over our lives. Pride certainly fits into that category.

Just like God told Cain, Sin wants to be your master, but you must rule over it! In Christ by the Spirit we can have victory, of course, not to say sinless perfection.

Thanks brother making that point here!