My story is different. I praise the Lord that I was never addicted to drugs or to alcohol, although that doesn’t make me perfect. Instead I watched both my parents be full blown alcoholics and having to deal the roller coaster ride that comes along with that. The fighting, having to help my mom into bed while cleaning up vomit, and my dad losing a good job because of it. Yeah everybody in the club is getting tipsy but no one talks about the next day. It was those next days that made me not be interested!
Then one day I watched my mom accept Christ right in her living room. You see at that time, they were faithful partiers, not faithful church visitors. Praise God for ministry through television. At first, I thought my mom lost her mind. I thought the effect of the alcohol has really taken over and now she will need psychological care. I didn’t understand the transformation that was going on within her. Then a miracle happened! I watch my mom take her two best friends, her bottle of alcohol and cigarettes and threw them down the toilet. There wasn’t an AA meeting (thank God for those) but the power of God that healed her from that addiction. It was that moment that made me give my life to God.
Although I don’t have an addiction story, I have a hurt story. See when I first entered church, I thought it would be the one place that would like Heaven on earth. So when I experienced that some saints acted worse that some sinners I knew, I was devastated. I will spare the details but the hurt caused me to walk away from God and the next thing I knew, I was involved in things I had no business being involved in, as I knew better. I went into a state of rebellion due to church hurt. I ended up cutting myself off from God’s presence, and for two years my prayers just bounced back from the walls. His grace is sufficient but you don’t want to frustrate His grace! Eventually I received God again but I never forgot that feeling of not feeling his presence. All of this because of church hurt.
Yet I was never fully healed from that hurt. I am the type that soon as the benediction is being said, I’m already walking towards the door, as I find myself not wanting to be bothered with church folk. I praise the Lord and leave. I want to avoid knowing anyone in fear of that hurt again. BUT GOD!
It’s funny how God uses things, even twitter to show us things. I have begun to see that there are truly some sincere saints out there. There are some that love the Lord and show the love thy neighbor as thyself through their actions. A simple card when one is down, or letting a person know you are praying for them; it maybe little things but they mean so much. The act of love is priceless! I feel led to say let it go. That person that was your best friend, but ended up betraying you, let it go. That lie they told out of jealously, let it go. That man that was saying he was saved and love the Lord but somehow persuaded you to fornicate, let it go. Even that pastor that is supposed to be the Sheppard, but hurt you as well, let it go.
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. Hebrews 12:15
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; f he is thirsty, give him water to drink. 22In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. Proverbs 25:21-22.
I’m sure I am not the only one walking around praising the Lord, but have this deep hurt inside their heart. Yet it’s time to let that hurt go! Be healed from the hurt in Jesus name I pray, amen!
