We’ve all heard the saying that “wounded people wound people” and we’re typically best at identifying this behavior when a wounded person wounds us. It’s not so easy to identify when we’re the wounded doing the wounding. Right after Paul encouraged believers to have the same mind and attitude of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11), he calls them to continue obeying God, to work out their own salvation, and to refrain from grumbling and arguing. Why? VS 15 “that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Paul was calling Christians to a life that was the opposite of the crooked and twisted generation; to a life that was different than the world, not the same! What is the Ricochet Effect? It’s when we allow the behaviors produced by the crooked and twisted generation to dictate our own behaviors and the direction of our own lives. Someone hurt you, so instead of remaining unblemished, you develop a critical spirit towards others. Someone betrayed you, so instead of remaining blameless you retreat into your own isolation reneging on your own commitments and promises to others. Someone abandoned you, so you abandon innocence and begin lashing out at others, controlled by anger. You’re wounded and you’re wounding, just as you were wounded but you don’t even see it! Fill in the blank____________ . What behavior from a crooked and twisted generation has been levied against you? How are you allowing it to redirect the direction of your life? How are you allowing it to control your own behavior? As Christians, let us react differently than the crooked and twisted generation (Philippians 2:1-18 ESV http://bit.ly/1ToaiVY)
If Your Scars Could Speak
Everyone has scars.
Some are physical, while others are emotional and mental.
I have a scar in the bend of my right arm. I was around 5 years old and my mom had to stop by my grandma’s house, she told me to stay in the car while she quickly ran in. My sister had a better idea, I should get out of the car and call our friend Nikki (No, not my wife Nicki) to come to the fence, where we used to play and talk. I guess I figured by climbing the fence Nikki would hear me better, so I started to climb the fence to yell out her name, I got it out nice and loud one time, and then my foot slipped. This was an old school security fence with the two metal spikes sticking out of the top, not the modern day safety kind with the knots. My arm went right through the fence like a warm knife through butter. The next noise I made was a scream for my mom, she had to lift me off the fence, as I was dangling there from my arm. I don’t think I got a spanking for disobeying on that occasion, I guess my mom thought my lesson had been learned. My scar tells a story of how mom’s know what’s best for her children, and how children should obey their mom’s.
I have three scars from an emergency appendectomy. They tell numerous stories.
I wonder, if your physical, emotional, or mental scars could speak, what would they say?
Yesterday, at New Passion, we focused on how our life stories are intended to bring God glory. Everyone’s life story contains some type of wound. We tend to want to hide those elements of our story. We like to tell the good stuff, like when we met our significant other, or when our child was born, or we’ll tell about the time we landed that dream job.
However, I believe God wants our life story to tell of His story. One of the ways he does that is through our scars. Scars tell powerful stories. They tell an even more powerful story about God, if we let it.
We cannot have a scar unless we first had a wound that has been healed.
God wants to heal our wounds (emotional, physical, mental) so that, our life story can tell his story. Even the difficult things in life that we experience are not about us, they are about God. 2 Corinthians 5:18 says, “…God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.” I believe one way we are able to reconcile people back to God is by not covering up our scars, but rather let them tell a story…the story of how God healed them. Have you ever considered, that the story of how God redeemed & healed you, may be the very help the next person needs who is carrying around the same wound you once carried? It may be that you are still walking around with open wounds, and you need God to heal you first?
Join the Conversation…What is a story your scar could tell?
Horrible Accident
When I saw this image on the front page of foxnews.com today, my jaw just dropped in shock. All we can do is pray for those who are injured and for the family of the one who has died, here is the story…
A car driven by an alleged drunken driver plowed into a bicycle race along a highway near the U.S.-Mexico border Sunday, killing one cyclist and injuring 10 others. More