Small courage....big impact

Can you see it happening? Revival - it's coming. Not the old church gatherings of hundreds of people singing The Old Rugged Cross. Not tents erected across the midwest with more food than the Golden Corral. This revival is in the hearts of His people, as they boldly turn or return to Him. I see it happening as I read and hear stories of the Lord compelling His people to be brave with small acts of courage in honesty. Honesty about our need. Honesty about our desires. Honesty about our sin. 

Now, I have heard some disapprove of the terms "authentic" and transparent" as term that leads to people trying to "one-up" each other with our sinful lives. They are afraid that we can tend to glorify the sin and not the Savior. Our own sin becomes a place for pride. I get that - I really do. But I am seeing a pure self-forgetfulness of experiencing God's grace. Tim Keller says in his book, The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness, “...the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.” This is evident in thousands (millions?) of lives across the world who are bravely speaking truth about themselves and where God is taking them. They confess their areas of sin and doubt and disbelief to the global church for one purpose only - to spurn others on in the faith. It is the outworking of the Holy Spirit in their lives embracing Ephesians 3:24 by putting "on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and the holiness of truth."

These men and women are willing to put on the new self in the holiness of truth in the company of other believers, for their sake of encouragement. While it is easier to hide the ugly parts under metaphorical (or real) layers of Spanx and baggy sweaters and heavy make-up, that isn't who God created us to be. These brave acts of truth are seen all over scripture, but a few interactions with Jesus pop to mind.

In Mark 2, we see Jesus heal the paralytic who was being lowered through the roof. But first Jesus forgives his sins. Jesus saw a man desperate to be near Him - to experience His healing presence. What were the owners of the house saying? What were the other people thinking about these men willing to tear up someone's roof for the sake of being near Jesus? We don't know - but we do know what the Pharisees thought - Mark 2 says the Pharisees were "reasoning in their hearts" that Jesus was blaspheming. Jesus reads their hearts and confronts them on their judgement. The result - people left glorifying God - amazed by what they had seen.

In Mark 7 (24-30) Jesus heals a child He has never seen or touched because of a Gentile woman who professes such faith and humility, He is moved on her behalf. 

In Mark 9 (14-29) Jesus heals a demon possessed boy, graciously responding to the father's desperate cry of "I do believe, help my unbelief." Not only did the father knew that he had no ability to save his son, he knew he didn't even have enough faith to warrant Jesus' grace. But in that humility, the holiness of Truth prevails. Jesus' love is greater than our doubt.

David confesses his inability to rightly sacrifice for his sin before the Lord in Psalm 51 stating "You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."

This passage comforts one of the greatest manipulations in our hearts - fear. Fear of what others will think of us. Fear that God will ask us to give more than we want to. Fear that we have a hurt that cannot be healed, a sin that cannot be forgiven, a darkness that cannot be brought to light. Fear that we aren't truly saved. Satan manipulates our fear and failure and flaws so that they become all we see. In this dark place, we fail to see the hand of Jesus outstretched, hearing Him say, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 5:3) 

The kingdom of God is crossing this earth, one changed heart at a time. One freed soul at a time. One bold truth at a time. Hallelujah and amen!