Mamas*Little*Treasures

Who needs a Savior anyway?

“When we are going through desperate, difficult times, the hardest thing can be hearing the voices of condemnation, rejection, and shame from others. The Enemy – the accuser of our brothers – loves to use people to kick us in the stomach when we’re down. The Enemy loves to use our sin to condemn us rather than allow us to hear the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Jesus silences the condemning voices and commands them to leave. Listen to the kindness in His voice as He says in
John 8:10-11.”

By Beth Redman
God Knows My Name:
Never Forgotten, Forever Loved

In the midst of all the "accusing voices" we frequently hear around us, the loudest one of all is the "self-critic." And even though we know where that critical spirit is coming from, it is still very powerful. When we listen to that accusation, that criticism, that condemnation, we can become so discouraged that we just want to give up. Part of the problem here is that we live in a "Christian Culture" that, in subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle ways, teaches us that we need to project an image of "perfection" if we are to be "acceptable" in our churches. So we try to "measure up," and when we don't quite make the mark, we feel like a failure. That is when the condemnation begins to overpower our spirits.

For many years I have observed something among church folks that puzzles me: we talk a lot about "salvation by grace, through faith," and remind ourselves that it is a free gift, "not of works, lest anyone should boast." We can quote those Scripture verses all day long! And then we turn around and live as if we really ought to be able to do this on our own. We have such high expectations for ourselves, and for everyone else in our world. The disappointment comes when none of us can quite achieve that level of "perfection." Now it is clear in Scripture, as well, that we are to live a life of obedience to God, out of a heart of gratitude for all that He has done in offering us the free gift of salvation. Living in such a way that our choices and our actions honor God is clearly the objective here.

But when we say one thing, and then live as if it just might not be true after all . . . . . we negate the Gospel message of salvation. If we COULD achieve perfection on our own, well, then we wouldn't need a savior, would we? In the midst of all of this confusing rhetoric, it is truly a gift to be reminded that Jesus does not condemn us when we fail. His voice of compassion can be heard if we listen; if we can refuse to accept those words of criticism and accusation when they come to us, then we can relax and keep putting one foot in front of the other on our journey to obedience. It's a long and difficult journey, and sometimes we will stumble and fall.

But we must hold on to the truth of the words of Jesus: "Then neither do I condemn you." We must remind ourselves of His heart of gentleness and kindness, even in the presence of those around us who perhaps have chosen not to forgive. Those who have chosen to hold onto our failures, and refuse to offer the grace that God extends to us. Even though their standard for forgiveness appears to be much higher even than God's, we know the truth. We are forgiven, we are loved, and through the gentle touch of His hand and the sweet sound of His voice in our hearts, we are able to go forward, striving to grow in obedience all along the journey.

Won't you listen to the gentle whisper of Jesus today, telling you that you are loved, you are forgiven, and you are acceptable because of His sacrifice? Can you shut out the voices of accusation and condemnation? Because they are simply not true! Claim the truth for your life today, and you will rise up on the wings of His grace.

Please visit Loni at her blog, Writing Canvas, to find links to the other bloggers who are participating this week with "In Other Words," and then if you write about this quote on your blog, be sure to leave a link so we can come and visit you!

The Tragedy of "Two Faces"

"No one man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true."

~~ Nathaniel Hawthorne  

As a part-time "literary junkie" I have had the privilege over the years as a "non-traditional" college student to read several of the books written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This seems to be an underlying theme in many of his short stories and novels, and the clarity with which he writes of the consequences of this "duplicity" is stunning. It would be nice if we could relegate this type of observation to those "old classics," where a preacher commits adultery and his accomplice must wear a symbol of her sin for all to see . . . . but sadly, this kind of "two-faced" approach to living is alive and well in the 21st century. And the genius of Hawthorne's storytelling is that the "good guys" are even worse than the "sinners" in many of his stories.

 

In "polite society" we tend to downplay the seriousness of this reality - much to our destruction. The chaos and confusion that results from even one person in a family, community, or church who chooses to live this type of "double life," break hearts, and destroy relationships. Ultimately it completely devours the person who is so self-deceived to think that he or she can continue to maintain the pretense, even in the face of mounting evidence. But, the bigger story and the greater "sin" is that, because we cannot "talk about it," the destruction becomes a "monster," consuming everyone who is taken in by the deception. There is only one way to overcome this self-deception and it is very simple: just do the right thing and tell the truth.

 

If you have never experienced the brokenness that comes from attempting to have a relationship with a person who wears "two faces," you may not truly understand the depth of despair and complete tradedy that it causes. Tragedy is actually a very accurate word to use in this context: another little journey I've taken as a "literary junkie" is into the world of Greek drama and tragedy. The notion of "two faces" is clearly a perfect word picture for much of the storytelling in the Greek tradition. In the real world, truth is truth . . . wherever we find it. And scripture validates this reality in so many places, but one that I have found to be particularly relevant is found in Isaiah 59. The writer addresses a situation in which God's people need to be reminded that He is surely able to "save" them from their current calamity, but their "iniquities" have brought about their own dilemma:

 

"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."  (vs. 1) Never again can we "blame" God for our difficulties in life. Even Job clearly teaches us that life is full of tradedy, even when we are doing our best to walk with God and honor Him with our lives. But we bring even more heartache into our lives when we deliberately choose a life of deception: "For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things." (vs. 2-3)

 

And what do we do in response to this evidence: "No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil." (vs. 4)

 

The result: "So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes." (vs. 9-10) Chaos and confusion, darkness and destruction, are the sure consequences of living a lie. And for those of us who have witnessed this destruction, and experienced the heartache, the even greater tragedy is not to watch the ever-growing self-destruction of a person who wears "two faces," but it is even more agonizing to watch, helplessly, while that pretense destroys those you love. Nathaniel Hawthorne read human nature accurately: when you can't figure out who you are, over time that "mask" of hypocrisy will become the prison that entombs you. Just do the right thing . . . . tell the truth.

 

Too many years she wandered

   through the scattered shards of shattered dreams,

   while drops of her life-blood fell silently 

from her wounded, bleeding heart upon the Frozen Souls of her children -

   while You, the Phantom Father,

  gave them stones instead of bread.

And fed their hardened hearts with lies instead of truth . . . .

Now, they walk in darkness, confusion, pain - and You,

   the Phantom Father - never noticed.

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Please visit Tami at her blog, The Next Step, to find links to the other IOW participants this week, and then leave your link so that we can visit you!