Consequences

As I was driving to work this morning, I started thinking about the testimony I gave last night and I started to worry that I spent too much time talking about what my life as a "believer" and not enough time talking about my life as a "follower;" I worried that I didn't talk enough about how empty my "Walked Away" years were and the impact those years have had on me, so please let me be as clear as I possibly can: you will never hear me say that sin is not fun - it almost always is at the moment - but (and it's a big "but") the consequences of sin are NEVER worth it! God does not take sin lightly - it killed His only Son - and there will always be consequences associated with it. But remember that God sets rules for our protection - not just because He can - and if we break those rules, He will discipline us as a sign of His love for us; He longs to continually refine us so that we can be more like Him.

When I think back to all the mistakes I made (and still make, mind you), I marvel at how gracious He's been to me, but I don't want you to think for a second that my sin came without consequences and lots and lots of pain. I would trade my "fun" days in a second if I could. Although the Lord is, thankfully, bigger than my sin and is able to heal me from my past, some of the bad decisions that I made at 14 still have a tremendous effect on my life at 30.

If I sound like I'm lecturing, I'm sorry, it's just that I want to be extremely careful as to not glorify the sin from my past. I realize that in the days of shows like Gossip Girl and 90210, popularity, sex, drugs, and power can look glamorous, but I can assure you, they are not; they're empty, dangerous, and ridiculously painful. Although I've seen God fulfill His promise and use my bad for His good, I have a lot of regret that I pray that you all never have to experience...

Regarding Discipline: "...He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:10, 11