1. Have you had those moments when you are just on fire for God and all seems right? Like you’re walking on top of clouds even though it’s clearly raining and you’re all wet?
2. Have you had those moments when you’re not sure what hell is like, but it couldn’t be much worse than this? You’re literally crying out to God for relief – there is no peace and there is bitterness toward God though I would not openly curse him, but I sure will hide from him.
3. Have you had those moments when everything in life is good from a physical standpoint but you feel so dry you’re digging in a desert for water and trying to remember all those cool tricks Bear Grylls threw out on Man vs. Wild but still getting nothing?

I noticed there is one common thread across these 3 situations, and that is my humility before the Lord. Guys will help keep me accountable and say, “How’s your walk with the Lord,” but that is almost bordering on Christian cliche. What guys should be asking each other is, “How is your humility before the Lord,” or as Matt Chandler mentioned in a recent sermon, “What is in your hand when you approach the Lord”?

I can’t address denial or find truth without humility. Denial is nothing more than a lie to myself and others. To expose it I need the light of truth. God is the light and in him there is no darkness but God isn’t going to give me light when I’m refusing to come out of darkness. He can, but that does me no good for him to bail me out every time with a supernatural experience when I know what he’s all about.

Isn’t it a bit silly when I take a walk and really think about how big God is, that I could still try to hang on to things that I know God wants me to confess to him and let him cast out into the darkness? It’s not like these are awesome things and God is some giant kill-joy, either. I’m talking about stuff that eats my life like a cancer and I’m not talking about sex, drugs, or rock and roll. I’m talking about nothing more than pride.

1. So, the first step is being straight with God – it’s not like I’m surprising him or anything It’s going to take some time for God to really get us to the heart of the issue so be patient – I’m talking months – perhaps, years. In my case, God got me in the door for sexual addiction but I came to find something much deeper that was pulling the strings on that and other struggles in my life.
2. finding someone I trust, or someone I don’t know at all that will never know me and tell someone what’s up. It’s funny that growing up as a Catholic, I felt the whole priest/confession thing was bogus. Granted the Biblical rationale is still bogus but God does say to confess your sins to one another so that you may be healed.  It doesn’t say “might” be healed. It says, “that.” I have no idea why that matters but I haven’t seen the Bible be wrong yet.

Are you ready for those two steps? Awesome – tell us about it in the comments below. It’s all confidential. Share either your answer to the question we asked or share what happened after #1 & 2.

Categories: Step 1
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