A pastor’s confession
A pastor needs to be wise when sharing personal matters. As pastors, we don’t want to come across as being perfect and above everyone else. We also don’t want to reveal too much, things like – banks we’ve robbed or ocean liners we’ve hijacked. In short, we need to be balanced, vulnerable and transparent.
Today I want to share a small struggle from my past. The story is real. It’s been several years now that I’ve gotten over this issue…for the most part it centers around chewing bubble gum. I’ve always loved bubble gum; I like the taste and the sugar; I especially like it when it is soft and fresh. I enjoy the little comics found in the “Bazooka” brand, but I’m open to other brands (maybe a bit too open). Somewhere along the way, I figured out that if one was good, two or three should be that much better. It’s always fun to blow bubbles and snap – so everyone can know how much I like bubble gum.
However, there are a few problems chewing bubble gum – sometimes I’d slobber a bit much. It can be a messy affair, especially when a bubble would burst all over my face. I didn’t like it after the sugar disappeared and I’d be left with a mouth full of this hard, clumpy, tasteless glob. But one day, this habit of chewing bubble gum eventually caught up to me…sitting in the dentist chair. My dentist said rather coldly, “What have you done to your teeth?”
I had over a dozen cavities!
Bubble gum was for me a pleasant experience…so good, so sweet, so fun. It almost felt like I couldn’t help myself…at least that’s what I told myself. It’s interesting how we can convince ourselves that we’re not that bad. Thankfully, consequences can often motivate us to change – to stop what is costing us so dearly.
Paul knew the reality of sin for himself – “All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.” Ephesians 2:3 (NLT)
We know we’re a mess and in the same boat as everyone else. The fact is, we ALL deal with the reality of sin! Our passions and tendencies take us places we shouldn’t go. Left to our own desires and resources, we’d be lost. God is holy. His very nature demands that He deal justly with sin and wickedness…and so He does!
“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” Ephesians 2:4-5(NLT)
God is SO rich in mercy and grace by providing a way for us to have an eternal relationship with him through Jesus Christ, His Son, who paid the price for our sins…whatever they are. We only must make Jesus the Lord of our life.
