"I'VE GOT ISSUES!" Part One

"I'VE GOT ISSUES!"  

Lots of 'em!  My guess is that you probably have some issues as well!  The truth is that as we grow up, we learn how to edit our speech and modify our behavior in order to navigate life.  We realize that we can't say everything that comes into our mind, so we develop a filter for what we say around certain people.  We realize that we can't do everything that comes instinctively, so we modify our behavior while we are at work or to accomodate certain relationships.  And that's not a bad thing, because if we did or said whatever we wanted, life would be CHAOS!  

BUT... if you have ever read the Bible, it will confirm something that we have all experienced:  That it isn't enough to simply develop a filter or modify your behavior, because our issues run deeper than that... our issues are symptoms of what is in our hearts!  It says this in Proverbs 27:19:

"As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person."

In other words, what is inside of your heart will eventually work its way to the surface - regardless of how sophisticated your filter is or how hard you work to modify your behavior!  

That is a little scary, because I KNOW that I have some junk in my heart that shouldn't be in there!  I deal with guilt, anger, jealousy, greed, pride, lust, and a bunch of other crap!  And when that stuff gets to the surface, do you know what suffers?  My relationships with the people in my life that I love and care about the most!

So how do you deal with these issues?  

1.) Be honest enough with yourself to admit your issues.

Instead of hiding behind the mask of "I'm really trying harder to be a better person", why not liberate yourself with the simple admission of your issues! Getting to the point where you can honestly express that you have some junk in your heart that you need to work on is incredibly liberating.  It sets you free from the constant game of speech editing and behavior modification for the approval of others.  Just admit it:  "I'VE GOT ISSUES!"

2.) Identify your specific issues.

Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to identify some of my own issues, and my hope is that it will resonate with those of you who are reading this.  What are your issues that have worked their way into your heart?  Until you know what you are dealing with, it is difficult to develop regular disciplines to help heal your heart!

3.) Develop daily disciplines to help your heart!

Just like exercising on a regular basis is good for your physical heart, there are certain habits that you can implement into your life that will help your "spiritual" and "emotional" heart!  But just like regular exercise, these things don't come naturally.  You have to be inentional about putting them into practice in order to see the results!

SO... are you ready?  Do you have some issues in your life?  No worries... welcome to the club! Now that you have admitted it, you can get busy dealing with your issues, and developing a healthy heart!  And here's the great news:  The benefits are felt in the relationships with those that you love and care about the most!

In my next post, I will deal with the issue of GUILT and give some practical disciplines to help you move past guilt and experience freedom!

-jeremiah

Lead Pastor
Westbridge Church