Isolation. Loneliness. Despair. Those are the favorite tools of the enemy to keep us caught in our spiral of fear that separates us from Jesus Christ. We feel we have no one, we feel shame, and we are convinced that no one else will understand. Wes Furlong, pastor at Cape Coral Christian Fellowship, interviewed a couple whose daughter had a number of difficult psychiatric diagnoses along with suicidal tendencies. He asked them what they learned and wish they had done differently. They said, "They felt like people would judge them and their misguided attempts at help would only produce more pain. And the only real way to keep people from knowing what was going on was to withdraw from real relationships." As a result, they isolated themselves. Looking back, their main regret was isolation and not taking the risk of reaching out for help.
How do we overcome the power of sin in our lives? The secret is in the telling. John Lynch coauthored a book, The Cure, and it talks about the power of telling someone else immediately when the temptation arises. "It's less important that anything gets fixed, but that nothing is hidden." We mature through our relationship with Jesus Christ and our vulnerability with others. As a result, we experience healing. Sometimes this comes slowly and other times it comes quickly. Either way, it's miraculous. Our problems are not issues to be fixed, we are people who need healing. In the Bible it explains this very clearly, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16 (NLT)
My challenge to you today is to unveil the secret. Call a friend or pastor to meet for coffee. Tell them you simply want their help in getting out of the isolation. Ask them if they are open to receiving a text from you when you struggle, and what you simply need is an encouraging word and a prayer. With the technology available today, it's easy to quickly message someone. I have experienced the power of this simple exercise on both ends and God's power truly is revealed in the unveiling of our weary souls.
-John M Troyer
How do we overcome the power of sin in our lives? The secret is in the telling. John Lynch coauthored a book, The Cure, and it talks about the power of telling someone else immediately when the temptation arises. "It's less important that anything gets fixed, but that nothing is hidden." We mature through our relationship with Jesus Christ and our vulnerability with others. As a result, we experience healing. Sometimes this comes slowly and other times it comes quickly. Either way, it's miraculous. Our problems are not issues to be fixed, we are people who need healing. In the Bible it explains this very clearly, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16 (NLT)
My challenge to you today is to unveil the secret. Call a friend or pastor to meet for coffee. Tell them you simply want their help in getting out of the isolation. Ask them if they are open to receiving a text from you when you struggle, and what you simply need is an encouraging word and a prayer. With the technology available today, it's easy to quickly message someone. I have experienced the power of this simple exercise on both ends and God's power truly is revealed in the unveiling of our weary souls.
-John M Troyer
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