Dear reader,
You’re here right now for a reason.
Please pull up a chair, I want you to get comfortable before we begin.
You need to hear this if you’re reading this. Know that.
If you believe in a sovereign and almighty God as I do we both know there is no such thing as coincidences or mistakes.
So whatever brought you to this letter don’t turn back now. I’m certain it was God. It’s just about to get good.
Your life, this story that you’re walking in is filled to the brim with trials.
Fires that were started and orchestrated by the almighty God of all things. Every trial and hardship you’re walking through right now He placed you right in the middle for such a time as this. He wants you there, He wants you to struggle, He wants you to realize that every human on this Earth will hurt you and fail you. It’s inevitable.
Yet He draws us to Himself. Don’t deny the design of the Master Artist. He crafted this world and wrote the most perfect storyline for you to walk in. Every story has a hero, a protagonist, a character that we follow from start to finish that we are to resonate with. The hero has faults and horrible trauma that they have to deal with, if they didn’t they wouldn’t be human like you and me.
But in our story, we aren’t the hero. We don’t fight the bad guy, save the world and get the girl. All that part of the story was finished before we took our first breath. Now, this story is amazing still even though we aren’t the hero, we still play a role, if we so choose to do so.
I’ve always appreciated the sidekick in books, TV shows, and movies. Ron Weasely, Samwise Gamgee, or even Piglet. They weren’t the hero, but they wanted to help the hero complete their task whatever that may be.
Some would say we’re God’s sidekick. It’s our job to help Him in this life.
Pause.
That is false.
We cannot help God. Take a moment to think about that phrase. For us little humans to even have the audacity to think we can help God we are mistaken.
God doesn’t need us. Yet He wants us. He seeks us out. Why? What role do you and I play in all of this grand narrative?
That’s what we’re here to discuss. You see if we don’t remember or even know our role in this story we have no reason to believe we can bring any honor or glory to God’s glorious name. If we don’t view Him correctly we can’t view ourselves correctly.
Do I have your attention? This next part is important.
You and I are the worst people I know. We are not good. We are not nice. We don’t want to do what we ought to do.l The battle between our spirit and our flesh is ever raging on. If this is the case our we the villain in this story? Nope. That’s Satan and this isn’t about him at all. This is between us and God.
Here’s our role. We are the Princess in the tower. Yet here’s the problem we don’t want to be saved. We don’t want to be loved by the One Being who can show us, true perfect love. We are as unfaithful as we can be. Running from idol to idol, lover to lover, hoping somehow that someone in this story can give us what we want. But not what we think we need.
We are lost. We won’t acknowledge it, but we are wandering around in the dark, refusing to rake off the blindfold that we put on ourselves. We love our sin, we hold onto it for so long, it’s been our dear friend for so long, how could we just say goodbye?
Our hero, Jesus went to die for the one thing we cling to, our sin. But, when He rose again He conquered sin. And He gave us a way out from our curse.
Why do I come before you tonight and tell you all of this? Well, for those of you who read all of that might have realized you just read a retelling of The Gospel. The humbling fact of the matter is there will never be a point in time where the Gospel is not relevant to your situation. Whenever a trial comes your way, if you don’t remember the Gospel at that moment you are going to crumble. Satan and his forces will shove lies and doubt into your heart and mind and you will feel hopeless. Unless the truth of the Gospel resurfaces, and you allow it to do its redeeming work within you.
The very breath you breathe ought to be the Living Word. Now, I’m sure most of you check out before this point, which is the sad reality of how short most people’s attention spans are. But if you who stayed I commend you. I want to encourage you with this realization I’ve been wrestling with for the past year.
I needed the Gospel when I woke up this morning.
I needed the Gospel all day as I worked.
And I need the Gospel as I lay my head down tonight.
This isn’t just me. This is for the lost and the hurting. The ones without hope for tomorrow. This is for anyone who calls themself a disciple of the living God. I’m starting to lose my taste for the word ‘Christian’ just because I know so many lukewarm Christians, and sadly I don’t want to be associated with them anymore. I urge you to take the time tonight to let this truth sit in.
Make sure you can humble yourself enough for God to use you. You aren’t going to carry out God’s work to help Him out, but if you choose to die as He did on a cross then you can actually play the role you were meant to.
His Runaway Bride.
We can run all you want but He will chase after you.
He wants your pain, your anger, and your sorrow. He took it all when His hands and feet were pierced by nails. He loves you more than His own Son’s life. He sacrificed Him on your behalf. Not because you deserved it, but because it was the only chance we had.
So here we are. I will be completely honest, I needed to hear this tonight. I needed God to lovingly remind me of His good news. To pull me in and hug me with His peaceful presence.
I won’t pretend that any of these words are mine. I boast of Christ alone, and I will give Him and His Spirit credit where it’s due.
Remember the Gospel. Remember your role. And eventually when the time is right turn around and run into His arms. That’s what I plan on doing tonight, I know it’s the best choice I’ve made in a while.
I’m sure you’ll be hearing from me soon, The Spirit’s been burning in my heart to preach and teach in season and out of season. And let’s be honest with ourselves. God’s always saying something, we just need to shut up, slow down and listen to Him.
Yours truly, Fellow Runaway Bride
