Thank you to all my friends who prayed for me yesterday as I shared my testimony of God’s goodness.  I hope it is obvious that after choosing Christ, I did fall in love with my husband again, and we have been together now for nearly 29 years!  And He did rescue me out of my dark time, and for the past three years I have been the recipient of  large doses of joy.

I do want to leave you with a few things I’ve discovered during my journey.

1. If you have children, they are depending on you to parent them.  Children spell love, T-I-M-E. And if you don’t give them your T-I-M-E, they will look for L-O-V-E where they should not B-E. Especialy teens. You can “have it all.” Just not all at the same time.  There will be many years after your children are grown to pursue other things.

2. People are not saved by an intellectual knowledge of the truth–the people that put Jesus on the cross had plenty of that. They had the law, the prophets, the sanctuary service, but they missed the Messiah.  Of these pharisees, Jesus said, “In vain do you worship, keeping the traditions of men instead of the commandments of God.” He further told them, “You are preventing people from entering the Kingdom, by ignoring the more important matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness…” Matthew 23, 22-24. Paul describes these same people as having  ” a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to  establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.”  Ouch.

Christ tells us exactly how we are saved:  “This is eternal life: to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”  John 17:3. When one loves and knows the one true God, the doctrines, laws, and commandments become no-brainers.  In fact, they become our delight!  “I delight to do Your will o my God; yes, Your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8

Beware of modern day pharisees.  More important, beware of becoming one.

3. Unfortunately, in a group this size, there is at least one person involved in, or contemplating, an adulterous relationship.  And I know what you are saying:  ” God wouldn’t want me to be miserable, would He?” or, “But it feels so right! It MUST be God’s will.”  These are the lies of the enemy.  Do a Bible search on “adultery,” then get honest with yourself, and with your God.  If you are tempted to think you can have it both ways, check out where adulterers are in relation to The Kingdom, beginning with Galations 5:19,24, and Revelation 22.15.

If you are comforting yourself with the thought that an on-line relationship or involvement in pornography is not adultery, think again.  Jesus said that “if you even look upon a woman to lust after her, you have committed adultery with her in your heart.”  Ellen White wrote that it is our thought life, not our outward actions, that reveal our true standing. Again, see Galations 5:19, 24, and Revelation 22:15.  Unfortunately, statistics tell us that 28% ofChristians, including Adventists, are involved in such things.  Jesus waits for you, with open arms, to choose Him, no matter what.  He wipes the slate clean.  It takes courage and selflessness, but you can do it.  Choose Him.

4. If you sense that someone is hurting, call them, and go to them.  I know, you don’t know what to say.  That’s OK. Just be with them. During my dark year, when I was missing from church for 3-4 months, not one person called, or stopped by to see where I was, or if I was OK.  Fortunately, my personality type is such that I can say, “People are busy…I’m sure they didn’t even noticed.”  And although the thought that no one noticed was somewhat hurtful, I am a realist, and a survivor.  But not everyone has my resiliency.  People are hurting. Listen to them, cry with them, pray for them.

5. Remember my friends, Jenny and Mary.  They lived out their lives boldly before me…and included me.  They took an interest in me, and loved me without an agenda, just because I existed.  I consider them instrumental in my redemption from the pit of destruction, yet they never once preached to me.  We remain friends to this day.

6. If you are hurting, hang onto God.  I will never forget Greg Phillip’s illustration of a rope being thrown to someone who is in the river, headed for the waterfall.  If it is you, do you grab onto the rope with two fingers, or do you grab it with both hands, and hang on for dear life? Hang on to Him.  And remember, this has happened that the works of God may be displayed in your life! (see John 9:3).

If someone’s actions and choices are hurting you (I am talking emotional and spiritual pain), remember it’s not between you and them.  It is between God and them.  The battle is the Lords.  It’s His problem.  The Bible says not to stand in the way of sinners (Psalm 1).  You are free to live out your life in joyfulness with Him.

David gives good advice, and even some assignments to work on in the meantime, in Psalm 37:

¹Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
²For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb.
³Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
⁴Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
⁵Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
⁶He will bring forth your righteousness as the light…

Do good, cultivate faithfulness, delight in the Lord, committ your way to him.  He will take care of the rest!

–Lisa