Confessions of a Follower

Here's part two of my brother's series. In this edition, Scott speaks the truth on where our identities are and he challenges us to put them where they should be: in Christ.

Christian: Literally means “ Christ’s little ones.” Early Christians were given the name Christians. No--they did not have a meeting in their homes or the fellowship hall and come up with a catchy name for themselves--they were given this name by the non-Christians around them. The term is not demeaning--it described their lives--which mirrored the life of Christ. For they were children of Christ.

We all make mistakes, we all have moments of weakness, lapses in character and moments we are not proud of. My life has been full of them. Since middle school I have called myself a “Christian” but for most of my life have not lived up to the name. Instead of clothing my self with the blood of Christ, I just learned what to say and how to say it to my church, my pastors and my family. I should have just called myself “hypocrite.” Instead of picking up my cross daily and following Jesus, I have spent much of my life picking up bottles, chasing women and hiding my sin.

In my first post, I mentioned that my hidden sin, all my weakness, all of my endless toils and all my cowardliness came out with a DUI. In a moment my sin was brought out from the dark and into the light. Every drunken night, every party, every sin and every character flaw in my soul was forced violently into the open. There was no more running and no more hiding. I could no longer hide my sin from my friends at church and my family. I no longer had a choice. I was hurting, lost, broken and I needed them. I wouldn't be able to talk myself or lie myself out of this one. This was serious. I couldn't run. I couldn't hide. I couldn't fix this one my own--but that is what God wanted. All of the time I spent being identified by being the guy who loved girls and who loved to party only gave me one thing--a night in jail. In an instant, life was different. God gave me a cross road.

The first was the life I had always found comfortable--the booze, the girls, the partying and the running. The road I was comfortable with, the road I was good at. The second one of openness and honesty--a new life in and with Christ. It was almost like God was telling me, “ this is your last chance Scott, it is now, or never.” I wasn’t strong enough to completely run away from the sin that still enslaved me and God was sick of it. If I wasn’t strong enough--God was going to break me and make me strong enough.

This whole experience has taught me two things :

• We are not strong enough to run from sin on our own. It takes sacrifice and a strength that is only from our Heavenly Father.

• We must put ourselves out there--all of us. James 5:16 says: ”Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” We have to be completely open and honest to our families, friends and pastors. They will never judge you. They will do nothing but love you and help you--I know this for fact

I’ll leave you with a question: Where is your identity, where is your heart?