by Elesa Goad Mason, volunteer with Iron Rose Sisters Ministries in Texas
I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. (Ps 36:1-2 NIV)
I spent the first 13 years of my life growing up with one brother. Typical brother/sister relationship; friends one minute, then not the next. We never really had that much in common, so our lives and interests went in different directions. It wasn’t until after college when we both were married and building our own families that we grew closer and were more involved in each other’s lives.
Fast forward many years to when most of our children were grown and our lives were successfully running full steam ahead, or so it seemed. One afternoon at the end of a long day, I received a call from him, emotional and very remorseful. He felt God had placed it on his heart to confess a sin that could put his life as he knew it in jeopardy. I was stunned because, other than dad, my brother was the one person in my life whom I felt had such a strong relationship with the Lord that I never dreamed he would ever have to confess a sin publicly, much less to me privately. I was crushed by his sorrow but also amazed by his strength to do the right thing, not knowing the consequences, and to begin a process of confession and subsequent healing that has taken many years to complete.
Since the beginning of time, God has used the sinful nature and weaknesses of man with various personalities to fulfill His will and accomplish His purposes. Apostle Peter comes to mind readily as a sinful man who was impetuous when he quickly lost his faith in Jesus and began to sink in the stormy waters out of doubt and fear (Mt 14:29-31), and as an impulsive man who cut off the ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant, out of anger because they were arresting Jesus in the garden that fateful night (Jn 18:10). He also quickly declared his loyalty to the Lord and just as quickly denied him three times to protect himself from the angry mob (Mk 14:66-72).
It's so easy to have good intentions in doing the right thing, and just as easy to not. All of that about Peter is to say that God used him in miraculous ways for His will. God channeled Peter’s bold nature to speak an amazing sermon that resulted in the salvation of over 3,000 souls and used him as a pillar in the New Testament church (Ac 10, 15). God is loving and forgiving and used the sinful natures of many people to complete His spiritual purposes; David, “a man after God’s own heart,” Moses, Jonah, Rahab, and the list goes on and on.
After recently talking with my brother, who graciously relived a very difficult time in his life to help me, he explained that, like David in Psalm 38 after his sin with Bathsheba, he felt physically sick and totally crushed down by the Lord because of his sin. He, my brother, had no choice but to confess his sin to his wife and family and throw himself on the mercies of the Lord and those he loved dearly to face whatever consequences he was given. He believed with all his heart that his salvation was because of Jesus on the cross, and not for anything he’s done or could ever do.
God’s favor in us is because of His covenants and promises, period. Like David, despite his sinful nature, God blessed my brother beyond measure, full and packed down. He blessed him with an amazing wife and a long, beautiful marriage, and children and grandchildren who look up to him and honor him as a man of God. As do I. And like Peter, God uses my brother as a pillar in the spiritual community both locally, statewide, and around the world. All because he chose God over sin.
Our relationship with God is wholly dependent on our grateful hearts and true penitence in our sinful natures. God wants to be first, to be loved, and to be trusted in all aspects of our lives and everything we do. Confession is part of that. But living a life with less judgment, filled with loving others more than ourselves, is equally as important in our journeys through this life.
Our reward is an eternity with the very God we worship and the ones we love dearly who have gone before and will follow us after we’re there. I can’t wait!
