16/08/2024
Years ago I was speaking to my sister and wanting to encourage her. I didn’t want to act like she was a person I didn’t know.. someone I would just walk up to on the street and share Jesus with. I thought I was just advising her in what she already knew. She interrupted me and said, “April, humble yourself, I don’t need you to preach to me. I need you to tell me how you got from where you were to where you are now” 😮💨
Wow. The very thing I didn’t want to do was exactly what she needed. She needed me to see her like the person I would walk up to on the street. The person that it didn’t matter who they were what they had gone through or seen and just share my heart with her. See her condition and help her come out.
I was thinking about this moment when contemplating authenticity and vulnerability. They are so important. So priceless.
Sometimes people don’t need to be told what to do but shown how to do it.
When we say things like “keep going”, “it’s going to be ok”, “just let go”, “you have to be positive “ or “have faith” we can mean well, but If we’re not careful we could become a people that just want people to look “right”, act “right” appear “ok” irregardless to what their true condition really is. It can come across as condescending or even dismissive because maybe the person wants to but they genuinely don’t know how.
How did God bring you back to faith in him after it seemed that all hope was lost? How did you keep going? How did it turn out ok for you? How did you forgive and let go? I know it could be terrifying to expose the true journey God brought you through to get you to the other side. It truly does take humility but when you expose yourself you expose Jesus.
You will be able to speak from a compassion you know- that you’ve experienced. You remember you’re the same as them. A person saved by grace, justified.. being sanctified. You remember who the glory really belongs to and give it to him by being real. You are showing that God is Real! Don’t be ashamed of this gospel that was the power of God to save you.
Be blessed family.
