Reason #830
Some things are easier to talk about than others. This is one of those things. One of those conversations that kind of makes you squirm in your seat. Either it's awkward or it hits uncomfortably too close to home. But today we talked about. Not because we wanted to, not because it's fun and entertaining, but because it's necessary and it just happened to be the lesson we were given.
Lust, immorality, and adultery. The moment I realized this was the Sunday school lesson we would be discussing with our bible study group, I thought, "Really, are you kidding me?" Of all of the things the lesson could have been geared towards, this was what they would choose. But the truth is, those 3 things are increasingly prevalent in our society. Those three things are ruining lives on a daily basis. And, of course, it's nothing new, but it's definitely something we like to avoid. Something we like to pretend doesn't exist and sweep under the rug. Well, the truth is, we have to address it because it's all around us. We have to know what God thinks about it, and we have to be a people who obey His commands. And so, sure, it's never easy to talk about. And the majority of us have made so many mistakes that we'd rather not go there because we can't undo what we've done. But until you ask for forgiveness, you can't find freedom. And until you lay it at God's feet, you can't be healed.
Well, you guys all know my story, but tonight I want to share some of those uncomfortable details. Some of those things my Southern Baptist upbringing only addressed in general, sugar coated terms rather than the nitty gritty. One of those things I, myself, had to really overcome and heal from. And maybe, if you're anything like me, or even like the old me, you'll see that God's purpose and plan for our lives is always so much greater than what we have in store for ourselves.
I took the "True Love Waits Challenge" when I was in the youth group. If I'm being honest, I am a do's and don't's girl and the moment I knew that sex outside of marriage was a "don't", I decided I would wait. I heard all of these lovely little analogies about how waiting was a gift to your spouse and on your wedding night they could unwrap this precious, sacred gift and it would be all theirs. And so basically, without saying it, if you made the mistake of giving your "gift" to someone else before you marriage, you'd be an utter disappointment to your spouse. I clung to this, and I was bound and determined that the man I spent the rest of my life with would be the only person who got this part of me. It helped that I've never been the least experimental, curious, or rebellious, and so this was actually really easy for me. I strived for purity, and I was really proud that I was going to be able to tell my future husband that I had held out for him. The day I got married, I was a virgin.
Two years later, I found myself sitting in my bedroom with my heart in a million pieces. My life had been turned upside down and I was mortified. But more than that, I felt so worthless, humiliated, used, tainted, and broken beyond compare. All of my plans, hopes, and dreams were ruined, and I thought to myself, "This is it. You wasted it, you can't get it back. All of that waiting, that intentionality, living your life set apart, has gone down the drain." And so I lamented this part of my life because I felt it made me undesirable. I felt dirty, I felt ashamed, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I sat in my Grandad's kitchen a few months later. The two of us talked about this. Not your typical grandfather/granddaughter conversation, but he knew it weighed heavy on my heart. He reminded me that even though I had waited, I certainly wasn't ruined because God's redemptive power was too big and mighty for that to happen. At the time, I thought about how my future would look. I knew the kind of men I would be willing to invest in, and I figured that they would be willing to invest in the girl I had been, not the girl I currently was. I desired the opportunity to have another chance, and deep down I desired a man who had the same convictions I did. But I thought to myself, "Whoever this guy may be, if I ever get a second chance, will want someone like him. He will want a wife who waited, who can offer herself to him completely, without stain. He won't want me."
If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said:
When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. - Hebrews 8:7-10 & 13
The new covenant changes everything. The new covenant gives us a second chance. The new covenant is everlasting. It brings hope and healing, restoration and redemption. That was the whole purpose. Because God knew we couldn't undo what had been done. And the moment it all began to fall apart, His plan of redemption began to fall in place. The moment it unraveled, an incredible story started to unfold. A story that washes away our sins. A story that showers us with grace and mercy. That proves how generous, faithful, and good our God is. The second covenant is a pure miracle. And the day I stood before Aaron and said I do, I meant it. With a whole heart, a renewed heart, and restored and redeemed life, I could fully give my entire self to him. Sure, it looked different than I had planned. It wasn't what teenage Brittnye ever expected, but it was no less valid. It was no less special or incredible, and more than anything, I praised God for the opportunity of a new, life...a second covenant that was designed by Him alone.
You aren't wasted, you aren't ruined. You aren't worthless, and you aren't broken beyond compare. You serve a God who works miracles. A God who redeems stories that have gone south and turns upside-down lives right-side up. A God who accepts you in your brokenness and loves you too much to leave you that way. A God who will restore what has been taken and who will be faithful to honor lives that obey Him. You are never too far gone, too undesirable. You've been washed by the blood, purified and made righteous, and the second covenant is the one that saves you from who you were and transforms you into who God has called you to be. A new creation, repurpose to bring Him glory.
#830 - Because the moment it began to fall apart, His plan of redemption began to fall into place.
"The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death...Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold." - 2 Corinthians 3:7-12
Lust, immorality, and adultery. The moment I realized this was the Sunday school lesson we would be discussing with our bible study group, I thought, "Really, are you kidding me?" Of all of the things the lesson could have been geared towards, this was what they would choose. But the truth is, those 3 things are increasingly prevalent in our society. Those three things are ruining lives on a daily basis. And, of course, it's nothing new, but it's definitely something we like to avoid. Something we like to pretend doesn't exist and sweep under the rug. Well, the truth is, we have to address it because it's all around us. We have to know what God thinks about it, and we have to be a people who obey His commands. And so, sure, it's never easy to talk about. And the majority of us have made so many mistakes that we'd rather not go there because we can't undo what we've done. But until you ask for forgiveness, you can't find freedom. And until you lay it at God's feet, you can't be healed.
Well, you guys all know my story, but tonight I want to share some of those uncomfortable details. Some of those things my Southern Baptist upbringing only addressed in general, sugar coated terms rather than the nitty gritty. One of those things I, myself, had to really overcome and heal from. And maybe, if you're anything like me, or even like the old me, you'll see that God's purpose and plan for our lives is always so much greater than what we have in store for ourselves.
I took the "True Love Waits Challenge" when I was in the youth group. If I'm being honest, I am a do's and don't's girl and the moment I knew that sex outside of marriage was a "don't", I decided I would wait. I heard all of these lovely little analogies about how waiting was a gift to your spouse and on your wedding night they could unwrap this precious, sacred gift and it would be all theirs. And so basically, without saying it, if you made the mistake of giving your "gift" to someone else before you marriage, you'd be an utter disappointment to your spouse. I clung to this, and I was bound and determined that the man I spent the rest of my life with would be the only person who got this part of me. It helped that I've never been the least experimental, curious, or rebellious, and so this was actually really easy for me. I strived for purity, and I was really proud that I was going to be able to tell my future husband that I had held out for him. The day I got married, I was a virgin.
Two years later, I found myself sitting in my bedroom with my heart in a million pieces. My life had been turned upside down and I was mortified. But more than that, I felt so worthless, humiliated, used, tainted, and broken beyond compare. All of my plans, hopes, and dreams were ruined, and I thought to myself, "This is it. You wasted it, you can't get it back. All of that waiting, that intentionality, living your life set apart, has gone down the drain." And so I lamented this part of my life because I felt it made me undesirable. I felt dirty, I felt ashamed, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I sat in my Grandad's kitchen a few months later. The two of us talked about this. Not your typical grandfather/granddaughter conversation, but he knew it weighed heavy on my heart. He reminded me that even though I had waited, I certainly wasn't ruined because God's redemptive power was too big and mighty for that to happen. At the time, I thought about how my future would look. I knew the kind of men I would be willing to invest in, and I figured that they would be willing to invest in the girl I had been, not the girl I currently was. I desired the opportunity to have another chance, and deep down I desired a man who had the same convictions I did. But I thought to myself, "Whoever this guy may be, if I ever get a second chance, will want someone like him. He will want a wife who waited, who can offer herself to him completely, without stain. He won't want me."
If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said:
“The day is coming, says the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel and Judah.
This covenant will not be like the one
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
and led them out of the land of Egypt.
They did not remain faithful to my covenant,
so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.
But this is the new covenant I will make
with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds,
and I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel and Judah.
This covenant will not be like the one
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
and led them out of the land of Egypt.
They did not remain faithful to my covenant,
so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.
But this is the new covenant I will make
with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds,
and I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
The new covenant changes everything. The new covenant gives us a second chance. The new covenant is everlasting. It brings hope and healing, restoration and redemption. That was the whole purpose. Because God knew we couldn't undo what had been done. And the moment it all began to fall apart, His plan of redemption began to fall in place. The moment it unraveled, an incredible story started to unfold. A story that washes away our sins. A story that showers us with grace and mercy. That proves how generous, faithful, and good our God is. The second covenant is a pure miracle. And the day I stood before Aaron and said I do, I meant it. With a whole heart, a renewed heart, and restored and redeemed life, I could fully give my entire self to him. Sure, it looked different than I had planned. It wasn't what teenage Brittnye ever expected, but it was no less valid. It was no less special or incredible, and more than anything, I praised God for the opportunity of a new, life...a second covenant that was designed by Him alone.
You aren't wasted, you aren't ruined. You aren't worthless, and you aren't broken beyond compare. You serve a God who works miracles. A God who redeems stories that have gone south and turns upside-down lives right-side up. A God who accepts you in your brokenness and loves you too much to leave you that way. A God who will restore what has been taken and who will be faithful to honor lives that obey Him. You are never too far gone, too undesirable. You've been washed by the blood, purified and made righteous, and the second covenant is the one that saves you from who you were and transforms you into who God has called you to be. A new creation, repurpose to bring Him glory.
#830 - Because the moment it began to fall apart, His plan of redemption began to fall into place.
"The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death...Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold." - 2 Corinthians 3:7-12
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