By Pam Durham
C.A.R.E. Director
Are the choices you make grieving the
heart of God? How about the words you
say, the conversations you have? I ask
because I have recently overheard conversations that should have taken place
behind closed doors, if at all. My heart
was grieved; grieved for those I overheard, and grieved for anyone who doesn’t
understand the ramifications of what they are saying and thinking. It is virtually impossible to separate ourselves
from the words that come out of our mouths and the images created in our minds. These words and images are often used against
us by the enemy of our soul. That
overheard conversation took me back to my childhood/teen years where the
environment was anything but Godly.
Sex was a part of my life from as
early as I can remember. Crude “jokes”
and sexual innuendos were a part of my everyday life from age 10 to 18 when I
left home. Body parts were discussed
openly and nicknames were given accordingly.
It was acceptable for the adults around me to talk inappropriately about
my body or anyone else’s body. I dressed
to fit the part, not understanding the messages I was sending. Satan was using those around me to groom me
for a life of sin in which sex had a big role.
Thankfully, at the age of 14 I began
attending a Godly church and began to see what life was like without a focus on
sex. I’m sure I shocked some of those
ultra-conservative members with what I wore.
Thank God, they loved me and reached out to me anyway. What a breath of fresh air when I was in their
company. I didn’t realize what it was,
but I was drawn to these people. Of
course, the Holy Spirit was drawing me, giving me a glimpse into a different
life, a God-filled life.
As I’ve pondered and prayed about
these overheard conversations, I was reminded of God’s words from Philippians
4:8-9, “Finally,
brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think
about such things. Whatever you have
learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
(Emphasis mine.)
I was told many years ago that what I do in moderation, the
next generation will do in excess. That
is what spurred me to rid my home of as much filth as I could. I did not want that life for my family. At least I could address what was seen and
heard on the surface. Unfortunately, the
“law of generations” has a way of creeping into the lives of our children and
grandchildren even when we do not embrace those practices. Thankfully, being transparent with my
children about some of the things in my past has helped them to make Godly
choices for their own lives.
Ephesians 4:17-32 has a subtitle in my Bible “Instructions
for Christian Living.” Here are a few
excerpts from this passage: vs. 17-19,
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live
as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and
separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to
the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in
every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.” Verses 22-24, “You were taught, with regard
to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted
by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to
put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness.” And finally, verses 29-30, “Do
not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is
helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit
those who listen. And do not grieve the
Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Emphasis mine.)
I hope that those I overheard will hear the Word of the Lord
and realize how far away from God’s thinking they are moving.
Have
you ever asked God why did “this” happen to you? Of course you have. We
all have experienced hurt or pain in our life whether it was brought about by
our own foolish actions or was the result of careless people. Regardless of
how it happened, the fact remains, it hurts. Our natural reaction when we
are hurting is to build a protective wall around our heart so we don’t have to
feel that kind of pain again.
Everyone
has a story to tell. Not everyone’s story is the same. Often times
we are held captive by our past because of fear, but when we are able to
bravely share our story and allow God’s glory to shine through our
circumstances, He can turn our pain into something beautiful. When we
live in the freedom of God’s truth, satan no longer has a foothold, and people’s
lives are changed!
