25 Minutes

    Why are we so afraid to share our failures and flaws with one another?  Are we afraid of what others may think of us? Surprise! We are not perfect.  Are we afraid people will realize this? I strive to be as transparent and open with others as I can be.

    Tonight, I spent 25 minutes looking at a woman’s Facebook page.  This woman is a lady I went to high school with. She is a lead singer in a band in St. Louis.  I spent 25 minutes of my time watching videos of her band playing. As I sat there, listening to and watching these videos, which by the way, were not at all Christ honoring, I got jealous.  I thought, “Wow. I used to want to be a singer. This could be me. Why can’t I have fun like that anymore?” I lusted over the fact that she was “rockin it” on stage. I saw how “beautiful” she looked in those worldly, skimpy outfits, such as the ones I used to wear.  I momentarily wished that was me. Yes. Melissa Hedrick, youth leader’s wife, future Pastor’s wife, Sunday school teacher, Patch the Pirate teacher, momentarily wished that that woman in a rock band was me. Guess what? That old lifestyle is enticing. Sin is enticing. I allowed the devil to have my mind for 25 minutes last night.  He fooled me into thinking that that old lifestyle is where I should still be. He fooled me into thinking that the life I am currently leading is a joke and a waste of time.  

    Now what? Well, I repent. I kneel on my knees crying to God to forgive me of those 25 minutes I allowed the devil to have. 25 precious minutes that God gave me.  I am not perfect. None of us are. Let’s not be ashamed to share our failures with one another. Your failures may look very different than mine. But if we are all honest with ourselves, we know we all have moments like these 25 minutes I had tonight.  I share this in hopes of encouraging others to not be ashamed of the fact that they are not perfect either. I am not saying we should be proud of our sin or the fact that we do sin. However, we should rejoice in the fact that we serve a God who gives such unending grace and mercy.  For this, I am eternally grateful. I am choosing joy out of this situation. Why? Because Jesus Christ is victorious. That nasty devil may have gotten those 25 minutes of my time, but Christ gets me for eternity. You know what else? I would not trade the life I have now in Christ for ANYTHING.  Choose joy. Choose truth. Choose Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.