And this is where my heart breaks...

The candle light flickered as they came to the altar. Preps and nerds, freaks and emo, rich and poor...

From the ages of 13 to their 40's they came and on this night these differences no longer mattered because we all shared a dark and hidden secret in common. We all had labels, lies really, which had taken root in our lives and begun to define us.

Worthless

Shy

Fat

Ugly

Stupid

Slut

Used, and unloved.

Not worth your time...

And the labels continued as the stones dropped into the water. Some were written in tears and others in anger.

All were confessed from deep wounds cut and forged by the words that came from a tongue waging war...

These labels may have been based on choices these girls and women once made, but the true travesty is when later these vicious labels took root and defined the girl and her future. 

These lies devoured and gorged on each one's hopes and dreams until she had been bled dry and found  hopeless.

Truth was a distant echo...

What was the truth about her identity anymore?

Words, labels, and the gossip that falls so easily from our lips is devastating and its leprous effects are lasting.

Do you realize what we are really doing though?

We are tearing down the very handiwork of God.

You see God labors over his precious creations daily. Minute by minute He is carefully clearing away the rubble, and laying a sure foundation built on His truths. Building brick by brick with care because each of these children is one of His beautiful masterpieces.

That’s you and me friends.

Yet, we are so very quick to tear each other down through hurt, anger, revenge, and our own deep wounds.

Sometimes it's someone else's foundation we choose to wreak our havoc on and other times it can be our own. We ravage it and plant the seeds of destruction that will soon crack the mortar and start the walls to crumbling down when enough pressure is applied...

And these seeds we are spewing come from one source...the enemy.

He is a liar from the beginning, and a murderer who wants to steal our joy. He roams around this earth looking for those whom he can devour and kill, but here is the real question for us...  Do we know Jesus?

I mean do we really know Him? 

Because as believers we should be following His example right?

 What was His response to the ones who wore these very labels?

The Slut?

The Worthless?

The Liar?

The woman caught in the very act of sleeping with a married man. Who was grabbed from a bed still warm and then dragged out to be publicly humiliated and stoned.

Jesus dismissed her accusers by pointing to the sin in all of us. He offered her forgiveness and told her to sin no more.

And the woman scoffed at for weeping over his feet and anointing his head with oil. The one that the men in the room dismissed as a worthless sinner...

He called attention to her faithfulness. He pointed out the depths of her gratefulness that led her to bravely walk into this religiously self righteous leader's home, just to thank Jesus for His amazing gift of grace, love, and forgiveness.

And the liar?

The chief tax collector, the man people despised because he not only collected the taxes for Rome, but was lining his own wealthy over-flowing pockets by charging even more from the poor.

Oh how the people despised him.

Wouldn't you?

But, the wealthy tax collector had heard about Jesus… that Jesus was coming to his town and a deep chasm broke open within him. He knew with every fiber of his being he had to see this mysterious Jesus. So much so, that at the cost of losing his standing and respect in wealthy society, he climbed a tree in hope of just catching a glimpse of him.

Jesus, who had every right to yell at this putrid excuse of a man, instead told him while he was still up in the tree He wanted to have dinner with him that very night...In front of everyone.

Jesus, You were so the King of the shock and awe.

Son of God, You turn our notion of justice on its head.

In each account these people's lives were radically changed by encounters with the living God who chose to see past their labels and love them right where they were. Faith and repentance followed in a beautiful mix that replaced their muddied and hopeless past with freedom, hope, and a new life.

So what about you? Will you make war on labels my friends?

Can we, like these beautiful teen girls and women I met the other night, cast down our stones with their slanderous labels and say no more?

Will you wage war instead with Truth and Love?

 This is a two part series so more on this soon friends… Hope is around the bend.

Are you struggling too friend?

Will you take a moment in prayer and ask God to reveal the lies and labels in your life that are not from Him?

Will you name them and cast them down with us today and say no more?

I am linking with intentional.me , wednesdays word

The "F" Word.

Yesterday, a wonderful friend of mine and I were sharing about our concerns and frustrations in life with each other over the phone. What we were sharing seems to be the general theme I have heard shared from many lately. It has to do with the “F” word, but not the one you might be thinking of.

Failure.  

Whether our failure is only perceived, or an actual gory mess that we have blundered our way into, we are all trying desperately to dodge this seemingly tenacious beast. There are times in our lives when it seems that no matter how hard we try, whether in our marriages, our families, our jobs, or even friendships we just fail.

There can be a crippling sense of shame that follows this slithering beast named failure. Paralyzing us as it wraps it tentacles around our hearts and minds, digging deep into the areas where our doubt and self worth intermingle. Like a haze of fog it clouds our views of the reality of who we are and who our God is.

The further we descend and entertain this beast the more he takes liberties with other areas of our lives and hearts. He infects us with his lies about our true nature... About whether God could really still love us. He bleeds images of our Heavenly Father shaking his head in disgust and disdain at yet another failed attempt in our life.  

Confidence can begin to crumble away like the land when it is in a drought.  Instead of running to someone for help as we begin this fall, often times the shame folds over our mouths like duct tape. We turn from the ones who love us and wander quietly away. Secretly hoping someone will notice the shadows of hopelessness overtaking the light in our eyes, but too scared to speak up.

Whatever the cause for your sense of failure; whether it’s a temptation you continually fall into; a ministry or business that has never really gotten off the ground; or you are caught in the contagious trappings of comparing yourself, your looks, your success to others… Please know this.

Stop. 

Stop looking down at your problems, your imperfections, and shortfalls. Stop looking down and look up.

Like a little child being bathed by their mother. She coaches her child to keep looking up as she washes the shampoo from his hair.

“Look up at me. Keep your eyes on me.”

She whispers gently to her beloved child trying to keep his head tilted upward so that the stinging soap can be safely washed away from his precious eyes. When her child is overtaken by doubt or fear and looks down, that’s when the soap pours down over his little face, stinging and burning his eyes.  What was it our mother’s told us?

“Look up.”

It works the same with our Heavenly father. He does not look at us and shake his head in disdain when we try and fail. He looks at us and coaches us in gentle whispers,

“Look up. Keep your eyes on me. The enemy will try and steal your joy, but I sent my son for you to follow so that my joy could be complete in you. Keep your eyes on me. It is in your weaknesses and perceived short comings where I can shine through you and do the impossible. I love you and want only the best for you. You are my child. “  

If our eyes are on Him we will see how He truly is. A father overjoyed in our open hands that may be unskilled, but when placed in His capable hands can do the amazing. When we fall, He is there whispering, “Look up my child." He offers his shoulder to lean on and His truth as our solid rock to stand on. When we repent he washes the shame away in the warm healing waters of forgiveness. He offers His shield during the attacks of the enemy and He whispers constantly, “Keep your eyes on me. This battle is mine.”

There are two stories I encourage you to look into this week, both are in Matthew 14: 15-32. Each time there was a key integral moment between human failure and the Lord doing something impossible through someone. In both situations the choices were caught between looking at the persons circumstances, and human inabilities or looking up at our Lord to what He can do with our weak hands, and diminished supplies.

Take courage my friend. 

God loves you more than you could ever imagine.

I am praying Paul's prayer for you today.

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

Are you struggling too friend? 

How can I pray for you?