I am sitting here looking at a blank screen with a 1,000 thoughts in my mind and 100 things I could be doing instead of sitting here with a blank screen.
Yesterday was a long day. Ministry wise a very draining day. You will have those days and it really seems like a season of time that I am in right now. There are needs all around me, comments, issues, not so good decisions, people leaning and needing - the list is about as long as it has ever been. My heart is heavy as the water seems pretty muddy but I know the waters will clear and God will make a way in the lives of those around me and he will sustain me through. Sometimes we have to lean on anothers faith until we can stand on our own. The question remains personally though - do you want to?
See we perceive that we have it all together. We perceive that our walk with Christ is closer than it truly is. We perceive that your family is in a good place and finances are in order, kids are doing good in school and your son is dating the wonderful Christian cheerleader in school. From the outside everything looks fine and dandy. Inside, you are a mess. Life is crumbling and the months continue to be longer than the paychecks. Your children are not doing well in school, in fact they have made some other not so good decisions lately and you are just at the ends of your rope. You and the spouse are not seeing eye to eye and the couch for one of you is your bedrooom.
When we perceive to have it all together what we really are is deceiving those around us. We are giving them false hope, false trust and a false image of what is really taking place.
Deception can in some cases, lead to a lot of pain. People get the misunderstandings or take things out of context when they get a little closer and scratch a little deeper than the surface.
I think in many cases, the heart is the one that tells the person to push back, show people everything is ok or bigger than it really is. We give folks an image that is far different than reality and what is really going on.

If you told me after hearing the homeless man sensation, star radio voice Ted Williams was a drug addict, homeless man and not in a radio gig somewhere making good money I would have thought you were crazy. His voice perceives a person that is totally opposite of who he really is.
When we percieve ourselves as something that we truly are not - we deceive everyone around us. Some of them might even be family and our closest friends.

I often think about that in church or standing and leading in front of students - when asked for prayer requests ... they give you the blank look, they have nothing to write down, they dont have any. This is usually the farthest from the truth. If we would just take notice loved ones, and reach out a little past the surface - we will find often times a very hurting person. For whatever reasons, the person cannot come to grips to seek help, advise, wise counsel or a dear friend to show them the way. Having a Paul in your life will help keep you from being that person of deception.
When we deceive those around us - we change 3 things about us. These are 3 things as I look back in my life that my parents not so much as TOLD ME - but SHOWED ME these things.

1. Honesty
2. Character
3. Integrity

Being honest about things brings things into the light as lies and hidden secrets cant stay in the dark for long. Those things may be some hurtful struggling places in your life. It may be that you secretly take pills, eat and then purge, abuse alcohol or smoke - the list is endless and I think you get my point. Honesty is making yourself complete - removing the lies and holding yourself accountable by taking a hard look in the mirror. We often times put things under the rug and run from our secrets. We protect those secrets at all costs. Honesty opens your heart and life up for someone to help. Someone to look into and invest in you. Honesty is a starting place for that healing place to begin. Someone who is not honest - you cannot help.
Let me say that again - Someone who is not honest - You CANNOT help.

In not being honest you change your character. Your character is who you really are. Are you a follower of Christ? Well without being honest, you may be just while at church on Sunday mornings. When you make it and not sleep in or hang on to that hangover. Your character is who makes you, well you. What are you passionate about? What makes you get out of bed in the morning? Is your attitude that someone owes you something or your life is tough so I am going to make the lives of others tough as well? Maybe you deceive by perceiving all is ok and deep down your character is hurt. You have been hurt in the past and all you can do to keep going is putting that fake smile on, happy only when certain people are around - inside you are crushing your own spirit.
In your fake character you challenge your integrity. Integrity to me is an action word of your character. Its doing what you will say you will do regardless of what is going on around you. When in positions that would be harmfull or would drag you or someone else down a bad road - your integrity is the only thing that sometimes keeps you standing up. Its when faced with a challenging and difficult decision - you do the right thing regardless if its hard or difficult. You do the right thing even if it brings out in the open a friends, character and that persons honesty. You challenge what everyone else is walking away from and not saying anything.
Its stepping in when others are stepping away. The road less traveled....... Integrity defines what you are about and it shows people your character.

What you have in your heart is what eventually comes out. People will eventually see your heart by your words, your actions, your decisions and even in your deceptions. You can only hide for so long before the hurts and the pain and the struggles come out. When asking for prayer requests we all should be at a place where we raise both hands and shout if need be - because we are being honest with ourselves. If life is good right now, praise God - don't forget God. Praise him because chances are, it wont stay that way.
We should be living proof of who and what we stand for. If you are a follower of Christ, then people should know that by the words you use, your demeaner around others, your actions, the love that pours out of your heart and even that smile and energy that you have all around you in everything you do.
2 Corinthians -3:2-3 - You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Loved ones, what are you showing others with your life? What story are they perceiving it to be about? Does it line up with who and what you say you are?
If not, it may be time to take a long hard look in the mirror - to invite a Paul into your life who can mentor you, challenge you, hold you accountable, to question the lies and dig into the secrets that bind you and hold you back from living a life full in Christ. Its letting go of those things holding you back and stepping forward into something incredible and full of power to do what God is wanting in your life to do.
I look at the emerging generation and I see so much potential, so much in the terms of making a difference in this world, I see small thinking and not giant huge God can do thinking. I see that in you as well.
Need a miracle in your life, in your marriage, in your finances, in your children and maybe even in your church - Ask God for it and then tell someone. Open a little and let that heart that God is holding in his hands show others.
Its time to stop the deception and get real, get true and bring the things in your life out of the darkness.
You are Gods letters in your story and he has the ink pen ....What is your story telling?
Fill in the words.......... ___________________.

Lonnie~