"God is good. Man is not."

Last week I had to face a major trial, and I am still facing it. You see, someone who I really care for has an addiction. Without my realizing, the pull of this addiction became overwhelming for the person and lead them to steal something so precious and priceless from me in order to get the high that they needed.  Friday morning I had found not only evidence of the addictions grip but all noticed that the item was gone and with it my trust. They had broken into my room when I lay asleep, and now I feel completely invaded. I know that comes with invasion of privacy, but I think it also comes from trusting someone and being betrayed by that same person.

"You know the effort I have given

And you know exactly what it cost

And though my innocence was taken

Not everything is lost

Not everything is lost nooooo" -Brandon Heath "Your Love"

Over the last year God has been teaching me that He is in control. I have learned that people will sin and make bad choices but God is always true and timeless. He does not change. I have also been learning to share the grace and forgiveness that God has shared with me. I do not believe in forgive and forget... well at least not completely. I do need to forget or not hold things against the person. I need to show them love, but agape love (godly love) is not naive. Love protects and cares for the person. In order to protect and love a person with an addiction you need to remember the addiction so that you do not leave triggers out that will cause that person to stumble. For example if a friend has an addiction to alcohol, I can forgive them for their actions when they were intoxicated but I won't just forget and leave a bottle of whiskey on the table. 

Galatians 6:1-6 "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.  Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else,  for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor."

Now, there is a difference in carrying someone's burden and in carrying their load. When someone is in sin or was in sin they have a load which is their natural consequences from their actions. After they have been lovingly restored, they may have a burden of an addiction or temptation that they carry. The burden is not a consequence of their actions, it is a weight that holds them down. We are to help them with that but holding them accountable, loving, supporting, and setting up safe guards for them. Beware a person who is entangled in sin should NOT be the person to carry another persons burdens. You can still pray for the person and love them but if that person is not able to carry their own load they are not in the right place to be helping others. My dad always told me, "If you can't swim, don't jump in to save a drowning person."

In dealing with the trials last week, I try to pour all my pain into God. I give it to him so that I can respond in a godly way. It was so tough because everything in my flesh wanted to lash out in anger and in hurt. I knew that I would not even be able to control my tongue if I were to speak to the person, so I separated myself from the person, not out of anger but out of protection for the person. Any words that are not godly would only lead to more pain and hurt in both myself and in the person. Expressing anger can be godly but only when controlled and when used to express the pain and encourage healing, but when used as a sword against the person it does not bring any good. I had to pray for the person, not that they would just change but that they would experience God's love and grace, that they would be able to be free from the grips of sin, and that I would be able to love them even through my feelings. I know that God did not do this to me. God has given us all free will to make our own decisions, even if that means to sin. The same free will that allows me to choose to praise Him, allows someone else to cause me pain. But God, in His abundant love for me, still protected my heart and is comforting me through this. 

A friend had posted a link on Facebook to a blog from a Christian woman who was at the movie theater with her children at the time of the shooting. She was responding to the questions of God being merciful in allowing someone to do that. I had email her and asked her permission to post some of it on here and link it to her page. It was such a blessing and a reminder. You see, I know that God is good. I know that He is loving and merciful, but sometimes my heart doesn't agree with my head.

"He is not the cause of evil, but He is the one who can bring comfort and peace in the midst of evil.  It’s been amazing to see the outpouring of love from so many people after this unthinkable act.  Yes, there was one evil act, but it is being covered by thousands, possibly millions of acts of kindness."... 

Romans 8:28 " And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Sometimes it seems as if no good can come from a situation. It seems hopeless, but God does. He weaves things together and is glorified. How great is God? 
"Though we don’t have all the answers, we do indeed listen to the cry of our hearts: When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What  can mere man  do to me? Psalm 56:3-4
God is always good.
Man is not.
Don’t get the two confused."....

I love this. How true. God is good. He is and always will be good. We need to remember the difference and be so quick to blame God. Just like when Job questioned God and God said, " Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me if you understand." God allows us to ask Him and seek wisdom, but we need to remember our place. God is God.

Please check out her entire link.  She has an amazing story of God's peace and love, and I didn't want to post the whole thing and prevent you from reading it yourself.

"Your grace is enough, Your grace is enough, Your grace is enough for me." -Chris Tomlin "Your Grace is Enough"

Update: As I have said and will continue to say, God is good. He is already providing restoration and healing in the situation. It might be a hard and bumpy road but I know that I am in good hands. Today, the person I had mentioned in this post, had accepted Christ. How great is our God? Thank you for all the prayers. Thank you God for you unceasing grace and abundant love.