Confessions of a secret sinner (3)

Lie number two: God won’t use you now. Julie Ann Barnhill continues: ‘Women long to have their lives count for something more eternal than their jean size, or updated qualifications on a CV. Yet many times, we judge ourselves by these superficial standards. Think of all the times you’ve gazed in a mirror and despised the woman staring back at you; times you’ve bought into the lie that God can’t use you because of your failures. I’m living proof that He can and does use us despite our past mistakes. David said when, “I confessed my sins…you forgave my guilt” (Psalm 32:5 NCV). The worst sins in Scripture can never drive a wedge between you and Christ’s love if you confess them and seek forgiveness. God’s truths can dispel the enemy’s deceit. Take hold of this promise: “I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places…You’ll use the old rubble…to…rebuild the foundations” (Isaiah 58:11-12 MSG). Lie number three: When people find out what you’ve done, they’ll never love, understand, or forgive you. Some you considered friends may leave…It happened to me…Friends dropped me when they learned the depth of my messes. And I once dropped a friend after learning some uncomfortable details about her life. Friends come and go, but a true friend sticks by you like family (see Proverbs 17:17). I wasn’t faithful to my friend, but Jesus always is. Time and again, He promised never to leave us. Even “if we give up on him, he does not give up – for there’s no way he can be false to himself”’ (2 Timothy 2:13 MSG).

Prayer Point

None of us are perfect, but Lord, I know there have been times when I’ve expected perfection in my friends and when my imperfections have caused them to turn away from me. I ask that You would surround me with a group of true friends, where we can share our struggles honestly and support each other in becoming more Christ-like. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Barnhill, Julie Ann, ‘Confessions of a Perfect Christian Woman,’ accessed April 4, 2011, todayschristianwoman.