Some days I think to myself and say, “I wish I were perfect.” “Oh Lord, why didn’t you make ME perfect?” I wish I was able to deal with ugly stress, ugly anxiety, ugly worry and non-stop feelings of inadequacy in my ugly life. I wish that those strongholds would just go away and never come back!
God knows, I just want to have a perfect life…
Some of you currently reading this, are shaking your heads in agreement, thinking IKR? (For those of you who are just learning these social media terms, it means “I know right?“) 🙂 Sadly, I’ve come to learn that my life will NEVER be perfect here on earth and neither will yours!
When I try and hide these issues from God (like He can’t see them or know what’s happening in my life) I feel so ashamed. But I find myself hiding my “ugly” from our God who knows every hair on my head.
Are you currently experiencing insurmountable, ugly issues in life and think no one (not even God) will ever know or find out? Do you feel less than and/or live with an addiction, such as alcohol, drugs, over-eating, over-spending, over-working, over – (fill in the blank)?
Yes, most of us can raise both hands because there’s countless issues that have a hold over us on a daily basis. But, why do we have such problems like these in our lives? Why are Christian people still going through the same issues as the world?
Why are we hiding our ugly from God?
The most common answer is that we are weak minded people. Maybe that’s a bit harsh, but I believe it to be true. You might be muttering under your breath saying, “Wanda I don’t know about you, but I’m strong!” Nothing or no one can get to me and I choose to do what I do, because I want to!” “I plead the blood of Jesus over my life! Amen” (as you roll your eyes at me).
Well, that’s a true statement in some cases. Believe me, we should ALL plead the blood of Jesus! I would love to believe that our mind-sets are ALWAYS strong in the Lord, however I have to say that our fleshly bodies are truly weak.
In Matthew 26:40-43, Jesus scolded his Disciples when he found them sleeping during their watch hour of prayer. He wanted them to watch and pray so they wouldn’t fall prey to Satan’s temptation. He told them that their spirits were willing but their fleshly bodies were weak.
So I know you’re angrily muttering, “Ok Wanda! So now that we know we’re weak, ugly acting Christians …
“How do we change things?”
Honestly speaking, it’s a very hard thing to master and we can’t do it on our own! If that was the case, we wouldn’t need a Savior – right?
No Christian chooses to be ugly or have ugly ways. Most would love to be perfect beings as mentioned earlier, but Jesus didn’t intend for our lives to be this way. He wants us to come to Him with the help of the Holy Spirit in everything we do or say! God wants us to admit when we are wrong and can’t do it all on our own! He would love for us to just surrender ALL to Him!!!
Romans 8:22-26 says,
For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
Praying, repenting and surrendering our ugly lives to Jesus is truly the answer! This shouldn’t be anything new, but we have to be constantly reminded that He is the only way.
Sadly, we too get caught up with the world’s issues because we are human too. Our fleshly ways start to mimic the worldly ways which allows these strongholds to take over. Before you know it, we are swallowed up into a tail spin of arrogant despair that we can’t get out of! However, there’s always a ram in the bush (a way out) according to Gods word.
Here’s Paul’s concerns for the Corinthian Believer that also applies to us…
14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. 17For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. 21 What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? 1 Cor 14:21
Holy Ghost Power
Do you hear that Saints?! We are filled with Gods power! It’s the same Holy Ghost Power that raised Jesus from the dead! And it’s there for the asking 🙂
We have Gods reminders all around us that we are NEVER alone. He’s always there leading, guiding and helping us to overcome the ugliness that we possess inside of us. But we just have to stop leaning on our own understanding and turn it over to His!
He’s our shoulder to cry on and ear to listen. Come clean with God! Tell him the truth and stop hiding. Don’t make others believe you’re OK, start releasing your pains onto Him today! He can truly handle it…
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34
Realistically speaking, we will always deal with ugliness in our daily lives.. But God promised that He would give us escape routes with the help of His Spirit. Just trust and believe that He can relieve you from your inner turmoil – if you only ask. Amen.
