Behind the Door

Remember when you were younger and you didn’t want your Mother to look into your room, you would stand with your head in the crack of the door far enough so she couldn’t see what was behind you?

Maybe you were like me and you would throw your clothes in the closet so that your Mom could at least see the carpet when she walked in. “What’s behind the door?” She would ask.

I tried to prepare my face for the lie I was about to give! I had to get my face ready in order for her not to yell at me to clean up my room for the thousandth time that week! (Don’t Lie though)

I know this story is quite comical but over the last couple of weeks, I’ve begun to ask myself the question, “What’s really behind my door?”

So I ask you, What’s behind your door? Are you hiding something away from yourself so that you don’t have to deal with the actual issue? Are you telling yourself that you have nothing in the closet of your life, but in actuality you have a pile of clothes that you need to hang up.

Life has caused us to go a hundred miles an hour that we don’t sit and think about what we are pushing underneath the bed or the rug. It has now become more prevalent to pass judgment on others so we can escape our own problems.

James 1:2-3 says,”Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

I have become very familiar with this verse over the last couple of days and I realized that when we run away from our problems we won’t find the lesson or the joy in it. Growth in and of itself is very challenging and it causes discomfort. When you choose to decide to allow God to produce in you the character qualities that James 1:2-3 talks about, you will then become complete lacking nothing.

If you have ever read the book of Hosea, you will see that the Lord specifically asked Hosea to marry a prostitute. The entire story shows us how Hosea continued to go back and get his wife though she was still a prostitute, though she ran away, and though she continued to be unfaithful. By the end of the book, you realize that we are the prostitute the story is describing and we have continued to run away from God though He has pursued us relentlessly.

Sometimes it seems easier to run away, easier to ignore the root of  our problems because we don’t believe that we can change or that anything good can come out of our situations.We push God underneath the rug because we don’t want to confront the person that we have allowed our experiences to create.

Upon writing this, I began to think about the recent Orlando shooting and how people have said that homosexuals deserved to die, but ultimately we ALL deserve death. We should be dead in our sin, but it was Christ that chose to FACE death on our behalf. If He did not confront the enemy and put our sins on His back, we would not be here today. We are a product of love and it is through love and grace that we can look at our own issues in the face and say, “Christ died for me and my issues and with His help I can go through test and trials and be made whole.”

If we would only pursue Christ the way we run away from our problems, we would be in tip top shape!!! Each season of our lives should make us confront the pain and grow from it. Just like when you are in the gym, the pain is so uncomfortable but soon you will love your body when you reach your goal!

Hebrews 121-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

One thing that I am learning to do in order to look what’s behind my door is to do acknowledge that something is there instead of ignoring it. When I can call the issue by name, I can MAKE it obey the Lord.

What do I mean?

For instance, I tend to become very defensive and it’s been this way for some time now so since I know that, I can’t ignore it. I ask myself why I get so defensive. I tell the Lord my problem and I start to use the Word to confront my issue. I find scripture that deals with my hidden issue and I choose to believe and internalize what Jesus says. I start to call myself what He calls me because when He went to the cross, He buried my defenses there. I know longer have to defend myself. Christ defends me.

You were made to win. Don’t let what happened to you behind closed doors define who you are and will become. God has so much to teach you RIGHT NOW in this season of your life. I know you feel like you’re being held in the fire. I feel the heat too! Recognize the heat and stay in there because just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, there is a fourth person in the fire with you…Jesus!

This week look behind the door! I know you don’t want to revist that hurt but if you don’t, you will repeat it in the next season.  I love you and I am praying for you! We will make it through it together. If after reading this, you want more understanding or even someone to talk to, I am here! You can comment, message, and share this with someone else!

Have a great week!