I will be honest about my issues with God and seek His help
(and counseling when needed) for overcoming sin, strongholds, and addictions.
Psalm 51 MSG
1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace!
Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I’ve been;
my sins are staring me down.
4-6 You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen
it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
whatever you decide about me is fair.
I’ve been out of step with you for a long time,
in the wrong since before I was born.
What you’re after is truth from the inside out.
Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.
7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I’ll let loose with your praise.
16-17 Going through the motions doesn’t please you,
a flawless performance is nothing to you.
I learned God-worship
when my pride was shattered.
Heart-shattered lives ready for love
don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.
Romans 12:3 NLT
Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Heavenly Father, thank you that we can come to you with our issues . . . our sin, strongholds, and addictions. Thank you for the instruction and pattern you give us in Scripture for confessing our sins before you and walking in humble repentance.
Lord, we are grateful that David, a man after your own heart who sinned gravely, inscribed words that echo the cry of our hearts. He declares who you are and what you’re capable of while recognizing the way sin breaks our relationship with you. And He models confession and repentance for us, so that we may experience restoration with you.
Yes, Lord, you want honesty from our lips.
God, may we be humble ourselves before you, seeking your forgiveness for the mess we make when we sin.
Lord, cause us to keep short and honest accounts. Give us the courage to evaluate ourselves and to aggressively remove any obstacle from our lives that keeps us from living for you alone and reflecting your glory to a watching world. May we be determined to live for you, unhindered by the sin that so easily entangles.
In the Strong Name of Jesus, Amen.
I’ve discovered there’s pretty much two different responses when it comes to matters of sin, strongholds, and addictions. Do you know what they are? Or which camp you fall in?
Some own it.
Some deny it.
Yep, it’s that simple. Or it at least appears to be that simple on the surface. Think about it for a moment:
How does an alcoholic become sober?
What does a teen with anxiety do to find peace?
How does a woman with an eating disorder get healthy?
What can an angry mom do to become calmer?
The answer is the same for all. We first have to deal with the fact that we have an issue. We have to “own it” to heal from it. That’s the first step, which is only possible when the root issue is tackled.
The root exists behind the fruit.
In the case of ongoing sin, strongholds, and addictions, the root is often a tangled web of pride encasing deeply infected emotional wounds and shame.
Pride traps us in our sin, strongholds, and addictions.
It binds us up in darkness with lies. It keeps us from admitting we have a problem, running from the light, where the truth can set us free.
Pride causes us to deny that we need help. It’s the worst place to dwell, and yet it’s the place so many set up camp and remain in destitution and desperation forever. I confess it’s beyond my understanding as to why. Since my early twenties, I’ve been bent on owning every bit of my sin and breaking free from every stronghold. I don’t know if that is simply the mercy of God or the way His strong and fierce wiring in me works out for good. Regardless of the reason, I am so grateful to the Lord, because my willingness to seek Him honestly, and get counseling when necessary, has radically transformed my life and legacy. A day doesn’t go by that I’m not aware of this twofold truth:
God changes us from the inside out.
Through the study of Scripture, constant confession, years of prayer, and time in counseling, God has cleaned out my wounds and demolished the lies I’ve believed, causing the ticking bomb of anger within my heart to be deactivated. I’m no longer that angry mom. And, when it comes to strongholds, I’m also no longer that woman who feels she must produce in order to validate worth.
Bit by bit, as I own my stuff, God takes deep hold of my heart and transforms me into the woman He created me to become. Yes, it’s an ongoing process. He’s not done with me yet. And He’s not done with you.
You are loved by God. You can step toward Him. He’s inviting you to own your struggle, confess your sin, and break free from strongholds and addictions.
But He doesn’t expect you to go at it alone. Seeking God for help, gathering around you the support of family and friends, and getting professional help is more than okay. It’s wise, my friend, and will bear lasting fruit worth keeping.
To continue this journey of living brave and inviting the next generation to join you in the journey, get a copy of Brave Together: A Conversation Starter for Cultivating Biblical Mentoring Relationships.
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