Out of Condemnation - Into Opportunity!

As I scraped a small area of loose paint around our tub it began to come off in small sheets - then a piece of the plaster underneath fell into my hands. By the time I was done ‘scraping,’ the lower half of the wall around the tub was lying inside of the tub – water damaged. At that point I couldn’t decide if I should cry about the damage or be happy that I’d found this problem: we spent the next 2 months of the summer repairing walls and water leaks in the bathroom.

As strange as it seems, this is very much parallel to the feelings we have and the process we go through when God reveals something unhealthy and destructive in our hearts and lives. On one hand we might wish we hadn’t discovered it, especially if we tend to lean toward the old adage which says “what you don’t know won’t hurt.” But on the other hand, it may be a relief to know the source of the issue which has affected our own life and that of others around us. That damage under the surface of the paint was causing serious allergy problems for our daughter and I was in constant prayer asking the Lord to reveal the source of it.

The process of sanctification should include an abundance of revelation concerning our personal ‘issues’ that God wants us to be rid of. However, never should these revelations be a source of condemnation - they are simply a moment in time where God is shining His Light on us in a new way so that we can repent, be healed and cleansed, and become a vessel with greater abilities to walk in His image – and this may take time!

Whatever character problems God reveals, and in whatever way He chooses to reveal them, don’t let condemnation come into your heart and mind. These revelations are continued proof of God’s love for us and never ending dedication to be faithful in recreating us into His image. Don’t allow the enemy to come in and beat you over the head when you get a revelation of ‘self,’ just sink into God and let the washing of the water of the word renew your mind and change your life.

Give yourself time, seek God, reject condemnation, and be thankful when these opportunities present themselves. God is cutting off chains and moving you toward the open door you’ve been waiting for, however, He sometimes has to trim off our excess ‘self’ to get us through that door!