Devo - Transparent Trust
Transparent Trust
Ecclesiastes 4:12
Transparent trust developed over time in an environment seeking to embrace God’s Word and apply it to all areas of our lives is critical. This allows truth to be spoken and invites the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives. This devotion is taken from the “Becoming a Disciple” series and the seventh message titled “Transformation.”
This comes from Greg Ogden in the book, “Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple.” Grasp this. This is so true. “The extent to which we are willing to reveal to others those areas of life that need God’s transforming touch is the extent to which we are inviting the Holy Spirit to make us new.”
That’s a huge truth, don’t you agree? Amen. Listen, here’s why. You know, twenty-eight years is how long I’ve been proving this. People can come to church and not be changed by God. I know you might be shocked, but it’s true. They can come to church for a long time and not be changed by God.
But when someone is in this environment where they say, “Guys, I’ve got to tell you something that I’ve never told anybody because I’m in trouble and I need help,” and they speak something out of their mouth, it’s like an earth-shaking moment. I mean, the ground shakes, and something starts to change when you say, “This is the thing that’s damaging my life, that may destroy my life, and I need help overcoming it.” When you speak that word, a snowball starts. Something starts. And if you’re in an environment where you’ve got like-minded Christ-followers to say, “Praise the Lord. We’re so proud of you. We’re here with you – we’re going to walk through this with you, and we’re going to watch God transform your life,” when that happens – lives change.
That’s why what Greg Ogden says is so real and so important because there is an issue of confession that is not what we think of as confession. There is this power that comes. Actually, what happens is it’s usually sin, by the way, that is destroying your life (not usually – it’s always sin that’s destroying your life). And what happens is when you speak it, it loses eighty percent of its power because now it’s out there. It’s not hidden. It’s not in the dark. You’re not protecting it. You’re not denying it. You’re not justifying it or hiding it.
You put it out there, and the struggles in that sin are no longer hidden behind your Christian mask. You’re not saying, “Oh yeah. Romans 8:28, brother. Yeah, John 3:16. Yeah, I know all the big ones,” and chuckling to yourself.
Stop it. God wants your heart. Right? And the way you invite him in most often is by speaking. Oh, that’s scary! You need to be in an environment of complete trust to do that. That’s what these groups are made to create. It takes a while.
This comes from Greg Ogden in the book, “Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple.” Grasp this. This is so true. “The extent to which we are willing to reveal to others those areas of life that need God’s transforming touch is the extent to which we are inviting the Holy Spirit to make us new.”
That’s a huge truth, don’t you agree? Amen. Listen, here’s why. You know, twenty-eight years is how long I’ve been proving this. People can come to church and not be changed by God. I know you might be shocked, but it’s true. They can come to church for a long time and not be changed by God.
But when someone is in this environment where they say, “Guys, I’ve got to tell you something that I’ve never told anybody because I’m in trouble and I need help,” and they speak something out of their mouth, it’s like an earth-shaking moment. I mean, the ground shakes, and something starts to change when you say, “This is the thing that’s damaging my life, that may destroy my life, and I need help overcoming it.” When you speak that word, a snowball starts. Something starts. And if you’re in an environment where you’ve got like-minded Christ-followers to say, “Praise the Lord. We’re so proud of you. We’re here with you – we’re going to walk through this with you, and we’re going to watch God transform your life,” when that happens – lives change.
That’s why what Greg Ogden says is so real and so important because there is an issue of confession that is not what we think of as confession. There is this power that comes. Actually, what happens is it’s usually sin, by the way, that is destroying your life (not usually – it’s always sin that’s destroying your life). And what happens is when you speak it, it loses eighty percent of its power because now it’s out there. It’s not hidden. It’s not in the dark. You’re not protecting it. You’re not denying it. You’re not justifying it or hiding it.
You put it out there, and the struggles in that sin are no longer hidden behind your Christian mask. You’re not saying, “Oh yeah. Romans 8:28, brother. Yeah, John 3:16. Yeah, I know all the big ones,” and chuckling to yourself.
Stop it. God wants your heart. Right? And the way you invite him in most often is by speaking. Oh, that’s scary! You need to be in an environment of complete trust to do that. That’s what these groups are made to create. It takes a while.