Life-controlling issues

I have some life-controlling issues, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. But there is a problem in the church today getting people to go there. Society in general is the same. It's a shame, too. Some life-controlling issues revolve around shame. Shame is a powerful thing which can keep people from admitting to problems, shortcomings, etc. And shame can also keep many of us from reaching out for help - of any kind. I'm not just talking about 'big' problems here. Even small issues can stop a person from growing and developing in big ways. BTW - 'shame' cannot work on a person who has dealt with pride in their life. It's one of those conundrums or 'vicious circle' things. If you say you are without faults, you are - in fact - admitting to one of the biggest faults a person can have.

Yet admitting we are flawed, admitting we need help, admitting we have failed at something - anything - can be the most freeing experience in a person's life. I have stood before groups - at our church, in other churches, and on various retreats - and confessed publicly about different failings, even addictions I have battled with over the years. So much so that if I begin to feel tempted in any of these areas again, I almost want to run to the nearest trusted friend and tell them about it so I can get moving in a healthy direction again. And, as such, I have become a sounding board for a handful of people who have found me to be trustworthy. Don't worry, I'm certainly not going to betray that trust here and now - it is priceless to me and to them - and so amazingly powerful at letting light into darkness.

So I'm going to be as clear as I can - nobody on this planet is free from Life-Controlling Issues. And yet nobody on this planet seems to want to take an honest look at ourselves. Or at least, precious few. Here are a few words from the Bible about the condition of man:

I'll put the references in case you would like to look them up for yourself to keep me honest-
Romans 3:23 'all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.'
Romans 3:10 'there is none righteous, no not one'
Isaiah 64:6 'All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;'
1 Corinthians 15:22 'For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.'
1 Corinthians 15:34 'Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.'

And if you dig deeper, you will find that the message of the Bible is consistent: God is Holy, His kingdom is among us, yet we have a problem which keeps us out of His presence - and that is called by an old fashioned word: 'sin.'

Fortunately, we also have a way-maker. A bridge-builder. A key to the kingdom. An 'all-access' pass. A way to overcome those flaws, life-controlling issues and other shortcomings which very much define the human condition. But for whatever reason, we can't make use of this connection to God unless and until we come to grips with the simple fact that we all have flaws, imperfections, sin, insert word here which makes you realize that there is something we need to change...

But change comes hard. Because the first step is to acknowledge that we need to change.

Please comment -

Thanks
Chas