easy 2 write ~ not easy 2 post

{easy 2 write ~ not easy 2 post ~ maybe not easy 2 read}

I have had a few posts like this but admittedly not enough.

The words and scriptures come easily and flow clearly.  Obviously directed by God. Obviously needed by someone.

But clicking "Post" is just not quite as easy.

My Facebook post for today was like that.  So much so that I felt like I needed to share it here as well.
 
Here is what I wrote (from my mobile phone!):

Don't exchange the truth of God for a lie. "...then you will know the truth & the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

Don't ignore the guilt you feel when living under the lie. (We today are not too different from the Romans Paul wrote to & about.).

So, do you think you don't feel guilty? You're not just okay with but proud of the way you're living - so "independently" & so "true to who you are"?

I thought that, too, once. Then I recognized my guilt that was still there. It was cleverly disguised - cynicism, boldness to go against all I knew in my heart to be right, pride in my "realness," judgment of others who were still trying to live according to what they thought "God said," thinking I was the better & more self-aware & wise person than the fools who believed the Bible & the God it speaks of, even thinking my version of that God was more accurate than theirs.

Any of that sound familiar?

Maybe it's time for the most honest self-evaluation you've ever done. Guilt in disguise, once recognized, requires boldness & humility to admit it is there. Then, even more boldness, humility & supernatural (given by God) strength to begin to heed the warning guilt is meant to lovingly give us.

Drop the tough, intelligent, enlightened, free act now. Let go of the lie. Only The Truth will set you (& your heart & your mind) FREE!

And here is the scripture passage I posted with it:

Romans 1:18-32
New International Version (NIV)

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Now do you see why it was a bit tough to click "post"? 

But sometimes we need to give and/or receive tough love.

I did get a little FB response activity in the form of a few "likes" from it.  Wasn't really expecting very many of those from that post, though, honestly.

Most notably, however, was the comment of one unnamed friend of mine (yes a "real" friend, not just an FB one...a boy {who's a grown man now} that I used to chase around the playground and hide in tunnels with in elementary school...don't judge!  You remember doing that, too!).

He merely thanked me for posting it saying he "needed that!!!"  Then our brief convo proceeded as such:

Me - ‎:o) You're welcome, J. I sooo understand. Can you tell? ;) Thanks for letting me know God used it to speak to you. It wasn't an easy message to post.

J - It's not easy to admit that I need a self-evaluation. Thx again!!!

Me - No it's not, J. But when you finally face the lies, accept the truth, and with God's help begin to break free - you will become more real, genuine, & at peace than you have ever been in your life.

So, I share all of that here, because just as I know there were many more who saw (and hopefully were impacted by) that post today who needed to see it, I also know that there are many more in blogger world and beyond who need it just as much.

Is that you?

Are you angry right now because of something you read above in this post or this scripture?

Are you wanting to call me judgmental?

Though I am not perfect, I can assure you that this post is a post of love for you. Before you call me judgmental, I would like to ask you to consider one thing...who is judging whom?

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." ~Jesus in Matthew 7:1-5

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." ~Jesus in Luke 6:37

My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. ~1 Corinthians 4:4-5

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”  To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.

This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. ~Romans 2:1-11, 16

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

It is written:
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.’”

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. ~Romans 14:9-12

All I have left to add is, if you hung in here with me through this long, difficult post...bless you!  

I apologize for the length, but I do not apologize for the content.  

There have been many times in my life when I needed someone to put these very same words in my face.  I pray that I have done that for many of you today.  Not out of judgment, but in love - to remind you that His kindness (& tolerance & patience) leads you toward repentance.

He IS real and He alone IS Truth!  

Again, as I said before: 

Drop the tough, intelligent, enlightened, free act now. 

Let go of the lies. 

Only The Truth will set you (& your heart & your mind) FREE!