Everybody puts their britches on one leg at a time...

Where do we get this stuff?

A precious, vivacious lady we've known for many years recently wrote to Phyllis:

Early in our ministry, the senior pastor's wife told me that I could never have friends; I would be lonely, and to NEVER tell anyone anything about what you are going through because they will use that against you. Go only go to GOD.

I lived with that fear for years...

Where does this kind of stuff come from (other than the pit!)?

It comes from our own insecurity and pride. Sure people will hurt you. But so what? Jesus kinda promised that in Matthew 5. Life is a lot of pain and disappointment even at it's best! But when we feel that no one can be trusted, we isolate ourselves. And blunt our ministry. When we see ministry as a "lonely road," we place ourselves in a vulnerable spot. And get ambushed by the enemy of our souls with no friends around. When we lack transparency and humility, we set ourselves up as "super spiritual," only to be broken by circumstances and exposed as frauds when we have a problem.

It's not about looking good. It's about being good. And I've learned that there really no such thing as good guys and bad guys; there's only bad guys and Jesus. And He's the only good one.

And then today someone asked on FB, "What qualities do dysfunctional families have? Or what makes a family dysfunctional?"

And I answered:

Psychologists talk about dysfunctional families where abuse - mental, emotional, verbal, physical - happens and develops a pattern of codependency where everybody covers things up...

Probably WAY too much info for a simple question on FB... (smile) But I couldn't help myself...

The Church becomes dysfunctional when it has something to hide, when codependency runs rampant and leadership has a masquerade to uphold.

Come on guys (that's a generic term, but how I follow-up will make it seem that it's not...) as my Daddy said, "Everybody puts their britches on one leg at a time." We are all subject to many of the same temptations, failures, pains and sorrows.

When we refuse to be "normal," admit our frailty and that we actually have a "treasure in an earthen vessel," the Kingdom of God suffers!

Where do we get this stuff?