We have to find a middle ground between being people of discretion, and bearing one another's burdens. All too often, I believe many of us (how's that for subjunctive?) err on the side of hiding too much. The thought of "being good church folk like us" compels us to go through life, creating the guise of a problem free existence. I was listening to a sermon from Alistair Begg, in which he said, "We make it very very difficult for people to be honest about their struggles in their Christian lives, when we present to people no struggles in our Christian life. It's just down right dishonest."
It is out of pride, that we want to go through life always appearing to younger Christians as some type of superhero of the faith. When we ought to be telling them the truth. And the truth is that you are going to get your nose bloodied, and it is going to be a fight. You are going to be hurt, embarrassed and humiliated. And your ego is going to be the continual and chief casualty in this war. You will eventually cry from the deepest part of you that you no longer want to go on. And all of this will become more dear to you than you can possibly imagine. Because you will realize, that all of those souls who went before endured the very same, to be able to bring the glorious gospel to you.
In closing let me quote and say amen to the words of C. T. Studd: "Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell, when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle."
God bless you all.
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