The Hard Stuff.
The fall of humankind is intensely disheartening and exasperating. We can't escape it nor can we turn an eye away; what do we do?
For starters, we have to understand we can't face this type of dark without God. We all, well most, know this world was born into sin. I believe this can easily be forgotten as for some unknown reason Christians are held to an extremely high standard - as though we aren't sinners!
Let me clear the air, I AM A SINNER - THE BEST OF THE BEST, SO ARE YOU, SO ARE ALL OF US! Please know the only difference here is that as a believer I wholeheartedly believe in repentance, I believe Jesus died for me, you and everyone else to wipe our sins away. I believe that asking for forgiveness means I am also signing up for learning new behavior, healthier ways of living in this horrible world that has become so, so dark. You see, when I lived in sin (disregarding my God) I never saw an issue with my way of life. Somehow, and only God knows how, He reached me and when He did I started receiving this gut-wrenching feeling of what I was doing was wrong and when I faced each demon I learned a new way of life. I asked for forgiveness, I CHANGED MY BEHAVIOR and I kept moving forward. I still sin. I want to make that known. My thoughts can be unhealthy when that happens I talk it out with God and somehow, it's removed. Instead of acting on a bad, rash or hurtful thought I simply lay it down and ask God to remove that. My point, we will ALL BE SINNERS until we reach our forever home, so please do not ever twist this truth! God is the only being who can touch all this darkness. After all, He tells us He overcame this world.
Now that we have established the foundation let's keep going. What else can we do for this sickening, declining world?
PRAY. Loads of it. One small, tiny prayer of "Dear Lord please just shine in this world." Is suffice. Trust me. Say a prayer for the wounded hearts within mankind. If you feel obliged, scream! SAVE THIS SELFISH WORLD! We do not want to become the dark of this world. Unfortunately, it happens. Yes, even Christians fall prey to the lies of the world. We have lied. We have burnt people. We have fed on enemy beliefs at some point during our life and to say differently would BE THE LIE. I can't tell you how many times I have lost the hope that I have had left. I can't tell you how many times I have played the game in life that I BELIEVED I had to play. RIGHT THERE, there is the LIE. There is power in prayer. Mark 9:26-29 says, The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
It feels like all is lost in this world. We must not bow, break or give in. We most definitely can not shut this world away. So, pray. If nothing else pray for the strength to come alongside this world, for God to keep showing the impurities in your heart and to share those with others so they can know they aren't alone, they aren't the only sinner in this world!
I want to stop and say that as a once lost and dark person, I know what the darkness tells them and I know they have lost the will to change and most are so angry they would rather leave this world colder than they have found it. There are a lot of walls to climb over but showing kindness, showing YOUR OWN VULNERABILITIES show them we aren't any different. We were once lost, sitting in the darkness too. So, please remember your own dark and don't ever shove it so far down you "forget".
I think it's important to remember that not everyone enters the gates of Heaven and more often than not we focus on EVERYONE as opposed to the ones right in front of us, in our everyday life. I am a firm believer that changing this darkened world begins right where I am, Gothenburg Nebraska. With that, go out and tell your story, I've said it before and I'm sure I'll be saying it on my deathbed. TELL YOUR STORY OF SIN. SHARE IT. SCREAM IT. DO NOT EVER SHOVE IT DOWN. DON'T EVER FEAR IT. USE IT. THERE IS A VERY SPECIAL, PARTICULAR REASON YOU HAVE LIVED THE LIFE WITH THE HURT YOU HAVE LIVED.
I'll never, ever understand why sinful pasts and hurts stay buried so deep in believers. It is our testimony of redemption! How dare we not share Gods love and mercy?! Do you not remember ever asking God if He was even there? I do.
What if I told you for the past three months, my depression has sunk it's claws into my every being? What would you tell me if I said I have felt hopeless and helpless? That I truly believe I'm alone. That while I'm surrounded with people, I feel lost and so, very alone. What would you tell me?
Here's my truth. Every. Single. Time. I have asked for help or reached out for conversation these things happened: My daughter was taken from me, I was banished from family, I was told I complain too much, I should go ahead and kill myself, if I cut I should do it right, no one wants me can't I see that, I'm making too big a deal, I'm not as alone as I am (yet that person is never there.) Asking for prayer and then being bombarded with, "Erika I am so worried about you" 👈 that brings shame because if I confide that I am struggling the last thing I want is to feel alone or shame or punished. My point is that when did humans become so "perfect" that one person's rough time makes them forget their own?
Watch your response and actions. It's because of the responses and actions I have received in this life that makes staying silent so easy to do. Which then makes feeling alone so real. Be careful. I shouldn't feel alone just because my family isn't here because I am supposed to have a church family to lean on. So, yes for three months I have been struggling with depression and while God is bringing me through that with love I shouldn't have had to walk it alone, like I have. I shouldn't have to question who I feel is safe enough to confide in without hurting or punishing me or making it into something it isn't.
Saving this world begins, I believe, with humbling myself low enough to relate with the worst of the worst. So humble yourself. Watch your reactions and responses.
Here's a video to remind you of where we have all been and why telling our story is imperative in attempting to reach all those who are convinced they are alone, too broken, too far gone.
For starters, we have to understand we can't face this type of dark without God. We all, well most, know this world was born into sin. I believe this can easily be forgotten as for some unknown reason Christians are held to an extremely high standard - as though we aren't sinners!
Let me clear the air, I AM A SINNER - THE BEST OF THE BEST, SO ARE YOU, SO ARE ALL OF US! Please know the only difference here is that as a believer I wholeheartedly believe in repentance, I believe Jesus died for me, you and everyone else to wipe our sins away. I believe that asking for forgiveness means I am also signing up for learning new behavior, healthier ways of living in this horrible world that has become so, so dark. You see, when I lived in sin (disregarding my God) I never saw an issue with my way of life. Somehow, and only God knows how, He reached me and when He did I started receiving this gut-wrenching feeling of what I was doing was wrong and when I faced each demon I learned a new way of life. I asked for forgiveness, I CHANGED MY BEHAVIOR and I kept moving forward. I still sin. I want to make that known. My thoughts can be unhealthy when that happens I talk it out with God and somehow, it's removed. Instead of acting on a bad, rash or hurtful thought I simply lay it down and ask God to remove that. My point, we will ALL BE SINNERS until we reach our forever home, so please do not ever twist this truth! God is the only being who can touch all this darkness. After all, He tells us He overcame this world.
Now that we have established the foundation let's keep going. What else can we do for this sickening, declining world?
PRAY. Loads of it. One small, tiny prayer of "Dear Lord please just shine in this world." Is suffice. Trust me. Say a prayer for the wounded hearts within mankind. If you feel obliged, scream! SAVE THIS SELFISH WORLD! We do not want to become the dark of this world. Unfortunately, it happens. Yes, even Christians fall prey to the lies of the world. We have lied. We have burnt people. We have fed on enemy beliefs at some point during our life and to say differently would BE THE LIE. I can't tell you how many times I have lost the hope that I have had left. I can't tell you how many times I have played the game in life that I BELIEVED I had to play. RIGHT THERE, there is the LIE. There is power in prayer. Mark 9:26-29 says, The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
It feels like all is lost in this world. We must not bow, break or give in. We most definitely can not shut this world away. So, pray. If nothing else pray for the strength to come alongside this world, for God to keep showing the impurities in your heart and to share those with others so they can know they aren't alone, they aren't the only sinner in this world!
I want to stop and say that as a once lost and dark person, I know what the darkness tells them and I know they have lost the will to change and most are so angry they would rather leave this world colder than they have found it. There are a lot of walls to climb over but showing kindness, showing YOUR OWN VULNERABILITIES show them we aren't any different. We were once lost, sitting in the darkness too. So, please remember your own dark and don't ever shove it so far down you "forget".
I think it's important to remember that not everyone enters the gates of Heaven and more often than not we focus on EVERYONE as opposed to the ones right in front of us, in our everyday life. I am a firm believer that changing this darkened world begins right where I am, Gothenburg Nebraska. With that, go out and tell your story, I've said it before and I'm sure I'll be saying it on my deathbed. TELL YOUR STORY OF SIN. SHARE IT. SCREAM IT. DO NOT EVER SHOVE IT DOWN. DON'T EVER FEAR IT. USE IT. THERE IS A VERY SPECIAL, PARTICULAR REASON YOU HAVE LIVED THE LIFE WITH THE HURT YOU HAVE LIVED.
I'll never, ever understand why sinful pasts and hurts stay buried so deep in believers. It is our testimony of redemption! How dare we not share Gods love and mercy?! Do you not remember ever asking God if He was even there? I do.
What if I told you for the past three months, my depression has sunk it's claws into my every being? What would you tell me if I said I have felt hopeless and helpless? That I truly believe I'm alone. That while I'm surrounded with people, I feel lost and so, very alone. What would you tell me?
Here's my truth. Every. Single. Time. I have asked for help or reached out for conversation these things happened: My daughter was taken from me, I was banished from family, I was told I complain too much, I should go ahead and kill myself, if I cut I should do it right, no one wants me can't I see that, I'm making too big a deal, I'm not as alone as I am (yet that person is never there.) Asking for prayer and then being bombarded with, "Erika I am so worried about you" 👈 that brings shame because if I confide that I am struggling the last thing I want is to feel alone or shame or punished. My point is that when did humans become so "perfect" that one person's rough time makes them forget their own?
Watch your response and actions. It's because of the responses and actions I have received in this life that makes staying silent so easy to do. Which then makes feeling alone so real. Be careful. I shouldn't feel alone just because my family isn't here because I am supposed to have a church family to lean on. So, yes for three months I have been struggling with depression and while God is bringing me through that with love I shouldn't have had to walk it alone, like I have. I shouldn't have to question who I feel is safe enough to confide in without hurting or punishing me or making it into something it isn't.
Saving this world begins, I believe, with humbling myself low enough to relate with the worst of the worst. So humble yourself. Watch your reactions and responses.
Here's a video to remind you of where we have all been and why telling our story is imperative in attempting to reach all those who are convinced they are alone, too broken, too far gone.
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