STRUGGLING CANNOT BRING RENEWAL

I am one who understands struggling. I spent many years struggling before becoming a Christian. I also spent many years struggling after becoming a Christian, earnestly searching in, copying down and quoting from the Word that I was a new creature. I claimed every promise I could find, even those for certain people during specific time periods in the Old Testament. I didn't care if theologians said I could properly do so or not, I personally claimed every good sounding word I could find! But my past still haunted me when certain circumstances arose.

Some healing and renewal came through the Word, good Christian books, fellowshiping and prayer. Yet I knew there had to be more for God's people, so I set out to find it.

I read in more than one book how we need to allow God to open up our past memories and walk us through them again to relive their outcome and forgive and be healed. I experienced this to some degree, but it didn't seem to bring lasting answers.

Several books insisted that a wounded person needs to confront the one who hurt them. I couldn't see how that tied in with the greatest healing of all...forgiveness. What if confronting would inflict devastation on innocent parties? What if that person had long since died? And I had a real problem with the esoteric suggestion of confronting an empty chair or a headstone in a cemetery!

The majority of the books urged those who were wounded to seek counseling and support groups. The reality of today's troubled economy is that few can afford professional counseling for any length of time. Others, through fear or denial, will not approach a support group. Instead, a great many use family members, friends, spiritual leaders, counselors or groups as relief valves to vent just enough pain and pressure to go on . This also enables them to avoid dealing directly with God.

I have read several of the twelve-step program books written for Christians and I see their merit in helping men and women to come out of denial. But rarely do these programs deal with the strongholds that cause people to oppose themselves.

I attended one Christian twelve-step program meeting, still seeking understanding of this phenomena sweeping our nation. The leader repeatedly stressed the necessity of "working the program every day," saying, "I have been working the program for years. Your lifeline is that you can always call someone or go to a meeting when things start to get out of control." I was concerned that a leader who had "worked a program" for nearly a decade would remain so dependent upon it. I am sure the leaders of these groups have the best of intentions, but I question the depth or permanency of healing that comes from such programs.

The Bible gives no record of Saul of Tarsus finding a counselor or a support group to overcome the guilt of his treacherous past - nor Peter for his monumental failings - nor Moses for his anger and act of murder - nor David for ensuring that Bathsheba's husband be killed in battle. Jesus did not send the woman caught in adultery (in John 8) away to find help. She knew she was exposed before HIM as she stood there and she submitted herself to the inevitability of whatever HE was about to say or do. HE simply said, "There is no one left to condemn you and neither do I. Go and sin no more."

Beautiful words from the living Word, Jesus Christ. He forgave her of her past and directed her towards her future. He told her she was not condemned by HIM, nor was there anyone else with the courage to condemn her in HIS presence. These words of truth brought her spiritual and emotional freedom. Each one of these Bible personalities received mercy and healing from the Lord.