Keepin' It Real
“…They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony …” (Rev. 12:11)
Recently, I heard a guest minister preach on “Keeping it Real.”
It was good.
His premise was that people of God don’t keep it real. We pretend to praise. We pretend to shout. We do a holy two-step – because it’s the thing to do. Not because it’s heart felt or real.
We lie.
People ask us, “How are you doing?”
And we lie.
We say, “Blessed and highly favored.”
But, that’s a lie.
We’re beat-down and wholly fallen apart.
But we don’t want anyone to know that. We don’t want others to know how bad off we really are. We’re thinking of suicide. We’re about to leave our husbands. Our children are on crack. Our houses are in foreclosure. We don’t have food. And we’re hiding the car at a friend’s house so the repo man can’t come get it.
Thing are bad – but not to let us tell it.
We’re smiling. We’re grinning. We’re joking.
Instead of testifying – we’re testi-Lying.
Instead of prophesying – we’re proph-Lying.
And I have a confession: I’m guilty.
I haven’t written in three weeks, because things have been so bad. Real bad. Yet, people ask me what’s wrong, and I say, “Nothing.” Or, I say everything’s OK.
Sometimes, I just don’t want to complain. Other times, I just don’t want to tell “my” business. At still other times, I’m embarrassed.
Well, God recently revealed to me that we negate our testimony when we hide truth. Each week, I come to you and share positive, encouraging insights. That’s cool. That’s what Monday Morning Inspiration is about. I want to help you see Christ in every circumstance. However, if the circumstance isn’t good – or doesn’t portray myself or my daughter in the most positive light – I often hide it.
Or, I write about it when the crisis is past.
I’m going to work on that. God can’t get the full glory if I don’t tell the full story.
So, here goes.
My driver’s license is suspended. Someone rear-ended me, and I had no car insurance. In Kentucky, your license is automatically taken after two instances of this. Well, I couldn’t afford insurance. I’ve had severe problems with people paying me and couldn’t afford it, so I let it go. After this accident, my license was suspended.
Earlier this month, we barely had food.
My health insurance was canceled, and I can’t afford medicine I need daily.
My family’s helped pay the rent for the last two months because I couldn’t. So, finally, I filled out paperwork for subsidized housing. It’s been bad.
I’ve been on edge, depressed.
And I’m hollering at Lyric continuously.
That’s horrible, because through everything her kind, helpful attitude was the only thing I had to praise God for. After so much yelling, however, even she was sulking and had a bad attitude.
Each day seemed more unbearable than the last. I hated answering the phone, getting the mail or checking e-mail. Each only bore problems.
And I couldn’t bear anymore.
I literally felt like my emotions were bleeding.
I’m not a crier – I never cry, in fact - so everything was just imploding slowly. I’ve spent the last three weeks in bed, feeling as if a weight was holding me there.
It’s been bad.
I only got up to get Lyric ready and off to school. (That’s my one vow – not to totally fall apart or into madness in front of my child. If she comes home and finds me crazy, that’s another story.) After she left, I got back in bed and pulled the covers up.
I lay there with tears that didn’t fall.
I pushed my Bible away.
I just couldn’t figure it out. Only recently did it come to me: I’m under attack.
Why?
Because the word of God is going forth. The Monday Morning Inspirations are now being printed in a New York newspaper. That means God’s word is reaching more people – and the enemy’s upset. His purpose is to destroy me. He can’t do it physically, so he’s trying to take me out emotionally, financially and spiritually.
I let him.
For three weeks I took myself out of the game. I haven’t written. I hadn’t really prayed. I hadn’t been to a Bible study. Nothing. At least I could have used my circumstances to encourage you all. At least I could have glorified God that way.
That’s what real testimony is: glorifying God by telling others what He’s doing, has done and promised to do in your life. And it’s telling the TRUTH.
Not lying.
Folks, stop lying.
The word says in Revelations 12:11 that the devil was overcome by “the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and the word of their testimony.”
No truer words could be spoken.
I didn’t get release and comfort until I shared my circumstances with Shanna, a friend from church. She wrote and said God had placed Lyric and I on her husband’s heart. That encouraged me so much. I just needed to know someone cared and that God had not forgotten me. I got her e-mail and decided then and there to drop my pride and confess all that was happening in my life.
I got up from the computer so much lighter. The devil is now defeated because now my friends know exactly what to pray for in my life. I’ve released it. And now God can get full glory when he elevates me beyond this point in my life.
It doesn’t matter how high I go if no one knows the depths from which God raised me. He must have glory.
And I have to give it to Him.
A friend – with concern for me – suggested I not send the Monday Morning Inspiration to certain people, mainly those I used to work with. He didn’t think it wise for me to let them know how bad things were for me at times. He felt they might pass the information on to those who would rejoice in my suffering.
Perhaps.
But, who cares.
Again, God can only get full glory if we tell the full story. And we’re telling it to edify, uplift and encourage. Not just to complain and drag down the spirits of others. We need to share real trials and tribulations, so others know that they too can overcome and be delivered.
Folks, somebody’s deliverance is bound inside us.
Some hooker could be delivered – if she knew you once sold your body for sex too, but allowed God to heal you and make you whole.
Some drug addict can come to church – if they knew you used to smoke and shoot up until God gave you power over the addiction.
Some young lady can get over an abortion – if she knew God forgave you for it.
And, some fornicator can restore their marriage – if only they knew you too were on the verge of the divorce, but God healed your home.
People, we overcome the devil by our testimony!
So let’s be real with one another.
Then, let’s keep it real.
And know that I love you each, L.
Recently, I heard a guest minister preach on “Keeping it Real.”
It was good.
His premise was that people of God don’t keep it real. We pretend to praise. We pretend to shout. We do a holy two-step – because it’s the thing to do. Not because it’s heart felt or real.
We lie.
People ask us, “How are you doing?”
And we lie.
We say, “Blessed and highly favored.”
But, that’s a lie.
We’re beat-down and wholly fallen apart.
But we don’t want anyone to know that. We don’t want others to know how bad off we really are. We’re thinking of suicide. We’re about to leave our husbands. Our children are on crack. Our houses are in foreclosure. We don’t have food. And we’re hiding the car at a friend’s house so the repo man can’t come get it.
Thing are bad – but not to let us tell it.
We’re smiling. We’re grinning. We’re joking.
Instead of testifying – we’re testi-Lying.
Instead of prophesying – we’re proph-Lying.
And I have a confession: I’m guilty.
I haven’t written in three weeks, because things have been so bad. Real bad. Yet, people ask me what’s wrong, and I say, “Nothing.” Or, I say everything’s OK.
Sometimes, I just don’t want to complain. Other times, I just don’t want to tell “my” business. At still other times, I’m embarrassed.
Well, God recently revealed to me that we negate our testimony when we hide truth. Each week, I come to you and share positive, encouraging insights. That’s cool. That’s what Monday Morning Inspiration is about. I want to help you see Christ in every circumstance. However, if the circumstance isn’t good – or doesn’t portray myself or my daughter in the most positive light – I often hide it.
Or, I write about it when the crisis is past.
I’m going to work on that. God can’t get the full glory if I don’t tell the full story.
So, here goes.
My driver’s license is suspended. Someone rear-ended me, and I had no car insurance. In Kentucky, your license is automatically taken after two instances of this. Well, I couldn’t afford insurance. I’ve had severe problems with people paying me and couldn’t afford it, so I let it go. After this accident, my license was suspended.
Earlier this month, we barely had food.
My health insurance was canceled, and I can’t afford medicine I need daily.
My family’s helped pay the rent for the last two months because I couldn’t. So, finally, I filled out paperwork for subsidized housing. It’s been bad.
I’ve been on edge, depressed.
And I’m hollering at Lyric continuously.
That’s horrible, because through everything her kind, helpful attitude was the only thing I had to praise God for. After so much yelling, however, even she was sulking and had a bad attitude.
Each day seemed more unbearable than the last. I hated answering the phone, getting the mail or checking e-mail. Each only bore problems.
And I couldn’t bear anymore.
I literally felt like my emotions were bleeding.
I’m not a crier – I never cry, in fact - so everything was just imploding slowly. I’ve spent the last three weeks in bed, feeling as if a weight was holding me there.
It’s been bad.
I only got up to get Lyric ready and off to school. (That’s my one vow – not to totally fall apart or into madness in front of my child. If she comes home and finds me crazy, that’s another story.) After she left, I got back in bed and pulled the covers up.
I lay there with tears that didn’t fall.
I pushed my Bible away.
I just couldn’t figure it out. Only recently did it come to me: I’m under attack.
Why?
Because the word of God is going forth. The Monday Morning Inspirations are now being printed in a New York newspaper. That means God’s word is reaching more people – and the enemy’s upset. His purpose is to destroy me. He can’t do it physically, so he’s trying to take me out emotionally, financially and spiritually.
I let him.
For three weeks I took myself out of the game. I haven’t written. I hadn’t really prayed. I hadn’t been to a Bible study. Nothing. At least I could have used my circumstances to encourage you all. At least I could have glorified God that way.
That’s what real testimony is: glorifying God by telling others what He’s doing, has done and promised to do in your life. And it’s telling the TRUTH.
Not lying.
Folks, stop lying.
The word says in Revelations 12:11 that the devil was overcome by “the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and the word of their testimony.”
No truer words could be spoken.
I didn’t get release and comfort until I shared my circumstances with Shanna, a friend from church. She wrote and said God had placed Lyric and I on her husband’s heart. That encouraged me so much. I just needed to know someone cared and that God had not forgotten me. I got her e-mail and decided then and there to drop my pride and confess all that was happening in my life.
I got up from the computer so much lighter. The devil is now defeated because now my friends know exactly what to pray for in my life. I’ve released it. And now God can get full glory when he elevates me beyond this point in my life.
It doesn’t matter how high I go if no one knows the depths from which God raised me. He must have glory.
And I have to give it to Him.
A friend – with concern for me – suggested I not send the Monday Morning Inspiration to certain people, mainly those I used to work with. He didn’t think it wise for me to let them know how bad things were for me at times. He felt they might pass the information on to those who would rejoice in my suffering.
Perhaps.
But, who cares.
Again, God can only get full glory if we tell the full story. And we’re telling it to edify, uplift and encourage. Not just to complain and drag down the spirits of others. We need to share real trials and tribulations, so others know that they too can overcome and be delivered.
Folks, somebody’s deliverance is bound inside us.
Some hooker could be delivered – if she knew you once sold your body for sex too, but allowed God to heal you and make you whole.
Some drug addict can come to church – if they knew you used to smoke and shoot up until God gave you power over the addiction.
Some young lady can get over an abortion – if she knew God forgave you for it.
And, some fornicator can restore their marriage – if only they knew you too were on the verge of the divorce, but God healed your home.
People, we overcome the devil by our testimony!
So let’s be real with one another.
Then, let’s keep it real.
And know that I love you each, L.
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