Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Telling What He Has Done
Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for my soul. Psalm 66:16 (New American Standard Bible)
Look back over any period in your life and try to discern what God has done for your soul as a result of that time. Think of the lessons learned, the steps taken, and the growth that resulted. God’s desire is that we share it with others. Why? So that their view of God is enlarged and He is glorified. Can you identify moments in your life that would do that? Are you willing to tell someone about it?
I find that the most precious conversations can arise from the most difficult trials and testings we have been through. To sit with another individual and share with them the things that you thought would do you in and what God accomplished through all of it. Not just the painful moments of life, but the failures and weaknesses as well. Sad to say, too many believers are still trying to put on a brave front that says I am getting through this life without skinned knees and bruised elbows. They wouldn’t dare let someone know about their places of vulnerability, regrets, hurts, and struggles. Hence, the things they have learned remain a secret as well. Their “mannequin” life keeps others at a safe distance and their story of what God has done continues to be untold. Oh the richness that is lost when that is the case.
I think of King David and how his words of reveling in God’s forgiveness are so profound because we are told of his adultery and murder that needed the forgiveness. I think of how the reception the prodigal son received is so touching because we know of his waywardness. Time and time again God displayed His work in lives on the backdrop of dark moments in those lives. And He desires to do the same with us.
I have individuals in my life who rejoice with me as God brings me through my own journey of freedom from emotional dependency. They know the specific struggles and cheer me on as each step of victory is taken. That wasn’t always the case. Shame and embarrassment kept that part of my life a secret for too long. Now it is with joy that I share the things God has done for my soul in the midst of it. The lessons I am learning and the growth that is resulting are being freely shared because they are meant to be shared. Transparency and authenticity mark our life when we dare to admit we are human but serve an incredible God! Merely telling of the struggles would be morbid and of little value. But when we share how God has worked in all of it and what He has accomplished, the sharing comes alive with meaning and power. May I never stop doing that!
Father, Your work in me is worth sharing. And that sharing is more powerful when people know the story behind the story. May my transparency reveal Your workmanship. Amen.