In this series, I will talk about why I struggled with admitting before God that indeed I did have a son who was suffering from a Substance Use Disorder.

Part 1

It's Time to Tell the Truth

To begin with, I am just going to give you my thoughts on how too often we hide the truth of our lives, our struggles, and our challenges from everyone. Potentially we hide them from our families, from our Christian community, and even from God.

Don’t you think it’s time we start being real with one another?

Of course, I’m talking about being real with safe people. We don’t want to blabber to everyone we know about what is going on in our lives or in our family’s lives. That’s just not wise. Nor does it cultivate the culture of honor. We want to honor God, ourselves, and our loved ones.

However, it’s also not necessarily wise to keep everything hidden nor to even isolate ourselves from others either.

What is the balance?

The balance is finding the right people, safe people, people who understand, and often people who are knowledgeable about your particular set of circumstances and who can offer to help you in some way, even if it’s just a listening ear. Certainly, it has to be people who are trustworthy. Sometimes, it’s a professional and sometimes it’s a friend. But always it’s someone who will speak life to you and who will speak the truth to you in love. It’s also someone who will encourage, support, edify, and strengthen you.

Perhaps it’s a prayer partner. Prayer is the most wonderful gift someone can give to you when you are struggling with life’s trials. A faithful prayer warrior is truly a blessing from God.  Perhaps it is a coach, counselor, or therapist. They are trained individuals who can be a great resource and support for you. It also needs to be someone who keeps your conversations in the utmost confidence.

Finding safe people with whom to share our struggles is a whole topic in and of itself. But, for now, let’s ask God to help us be those people for others and to find those people when we need them. Let’s ask Him to help us as a Christian community to become the safe people to whom others in need can turn for help.

 “God help us to be real and authentic as a Christian community and offer Christ’s love and begin to connect with one another on a much deeper level. Lord deliver us from feeling like we have to keep a certain facade up in front of others for fear that they might discover we are less than perfect and so is our family. Lord deliver us from shame and pride and fear and whatever else we are experiencing that causes us to hide and isolate. Yet, also, Lord, make us wise to know who the right person or people are that we can open up with and be real with. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Please understand, that I’m not talking about not standing in faith for the promises of God. That’s a different topic. This is simply about becoming authentic so that we can receive healing or deliverance or whatever it is we need while we stand in faith on the promises of God.

I’m simply talking about acknowledging where we are struggling so that we can then do something about it to resolve the issues within us. If we continue to live our “Christianese” life of saying the “religious right things to say” and denying that we are really struggling on the inside, well then, can we really expect to be healed?

James says “Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results.” James 5:16 TLB

The truth is we all have issues, challenges, problems, and trials…at least at some time in our lives.

 But these things don’t make us bad people. And they don’t make us less loved by God. They don’t even mean we aren’t Godly people.

I would venture to say that they mean we are human and in our human frailty, we are experiencing some real-life issues. In addition, we are experiencing some of the effects of the fall. This is a reality for every person on planet earth. We all are human and we all do experience daily the effects of the fall. So, wouldn’t it behoove us to stop pretending like everything is perfect and admit that sometimes we are going through difficult times? Life isn’t always easy or smooth. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could be the safe people others could be truthful with? I wonder how much more healing we would experience if this were a reality in our lives, in our Christian community? I think it is food for thought.

Next time, I will begin by sharing with you why it was so hard for me to acknowledge before God that my son was struggling with a substance use disorder. I’ll share some of the secrets of my heart, those places in me that needed healing, truth, and God’s amazing grace. Stay tuned.

 

In the meantime, I invite you to think about where in your life do you feel like you are wearing a mask and pretending everything is okay when in reality it is not? Feel free to share with me here or I invite you to email me your thoughts at heartablazeministries@gmail.com.

 

I pray the Lord will help you to find the right person to open up with and He will heal those places in your heart that are broken by family situations. Until next time, Jesus loves you and so do I.

Marlene

Marlene’s mission is to bring the fire of God’s love to the hurting enabling them to find healing, restoration, and wholeness in order for them to be released into the fullness of their destiny.

Marlene has a unique combination of credentials. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with The International Coach Federation, as well as a BALM® Certified Family Recovery Life Coach. She is also certified in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a Family Recovery Specialist.

Contact Marlene to learn more about working with her, enrolling in one of her classes, or joining her prayer movement.

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Heart Ablaze Restoration Ministries

Life is full of trials. In fact, Jesus told us to expect trials in John 16:33. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)

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