Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! Psalm 32:1-2
I was listening to a podcast recently where the podcaster opened up about an area of his life where he was struggling and lacking self-control. As he shared his story, I could not help but feel moved. I thought about how many people listening might also be struggling with the same thing, yet felt too ashamed to ask for help. I also thought about the shame that lifted from his voice as he shared his story. You see, our stories have power. When we hide our struggles, they stay in darkness, but when we share them, we bring them to light, and they even bring light and encouragement to other people who are also struggling.
David writes about the joy of opening up about sin in Psalm 32. “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” (verses 1-2). Reading this Psalm, you can almost feel the joy and freedom David feels, knowing he is not hiding any sin. He has freedom because he no longer was trying to hide anything (verse 5). This is what happens when things change from darkness to light. Light brings greater insight and joy.
Something else happens when we open up about our struggles. Shame begins to disappear. You see, when we are weighed down by our struggles, including our struggle to live self-controlled, we can feel overwhelmed by embarrassment and shame. When we open up and acknowledge our struggles, we feel freedom. Not only that, we shine a light that helps other people as well.
What feels out of control in your life right now? Maybe you are struggling with self-control in the area of finances, over-eating, gossip, etc. Whatever it is, you do not have to live in shame. Instead of hiding in shame, bring it to light. You will find freedom, and your light may help someone else in darkness.
We do not have to live constantly hiding our struggles when things are out of control. We can find freedom and bring them to light. Are you in a small group? This week, Tell your small group about the areas where you are struggling with self-control. Ask them for prayer and accountability. As you do this, you will find the same joy David felt in exposing his struggles.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NLT)
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
©2024 Sagebrush Church
