In 1998, Dr. Larry Crabb wrote the book Inside Out. The book encourages Christians to stop pretending they have it all together and to be honest about what’s going on in their hearts. As they do so, Crabb reveals, God can free them up to become more of who they were meant to be.
After the book was published, Larry half-jokingly said that he wished it had been titled I’m a Mess, You’re a Mess. He knew it wasn’t the most attractive title, yet it reflected something that is true of every one of us.
Take, for example, King David. Even though God considered him a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22), he was not without his struggles and faults. Second Samuel 11:1-27 records a time in David’s life when he was troubled by a lack of direction and purpose. Floundering in his kingly calling, David abused his power by summoning a married woman to his bedroom, and then arranged for her husband’s death to cover up what he had done.
Perhaps one of the reasons the Bible includes this sordid part of David’s life is to remind us that none of us has arrived. It’s not an excuse to be a mess, but it’s a reminder that we’re a “glorious” mess in process. In other words, we all have room to grow.
It’s important to envision who we can be, but let’s not deny where we are today. Referring to the life that is ours in Christ, even the apostle Paul acknowledged, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection” (Philippians 3:12).
Don’t pretend that you’re farther along in the Christian life than you are. God works in our lives where we are, not where we think we should be.
More:
Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship (1 Kings 3:3).
Next:
How have you pretended to be farther along in your maturity in Jesus than you actually are? What will you do to stop pretending?
GrowinginChrist on December 6, 2010 at 10:01 am
Wow, this is so right on. I am so grateful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for saving me from my “mess”. I am gratefull for his holy word, to give me examples and direction, to continue the race with courage, and perserverance.
Soldier4Christ on December 6, 2010 at 12:58 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more Growing, I know that I am a mess and that I have made many messes in my life. But I thank God that He doesn’t give up on us and that His work in me isn’t finished yet. I will continue to press on thanking Him for His inspiration as I do.
AMGMJL on December 6, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Very touching and so true. I also think it good for us to share our messes or past mess ups with others. You never know when someone is struggling with something that you have dealt with. It may encourage them to know that you made it through and that you have grown closer to God even through mess ups.
AManofGod on December 6, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Thank you for a great post. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I am not where I think I should be in my life and in my walk with Christ. It’s good to know that Jesus not only knows where I am but He also accepts me even though I am so far from perfection!
hauntedhoney on December 6, 2010 at 7:53 pm
thank you for this great realization of life…
i’m also struggling with a mess right now.
that need to work out..
thanks for this passage….
with-out odj i cant tell how my work will be….
god bless and keep up.. ^^
Invisible on December 6, 2010 at 8:42 pm
What ended up happening to him? Did God ever forgive him?
If David did these horrible things then why would God call him a man after god’s own heart?
jeff olson on December 7, 2010 at 8:49 am
While David suffered significant loss as a result of his sin (including the death of a baby), God did restore him. David expressed the forgiveness and restoration of God in Psalm 32 and 51.
daisymarygoldr on December 7, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Invisible, you have raised a very important point.
When confronted, King David did not try to hide his mess behind a mask of pretense. And that is why he was a man after God’s heart.
In Psalm 51 we can read his heartfelt prayer humbly acknowledging his need for God’s mercy and asking God to clean up his mess.
Thankfully, nothing is too messy for God to clean up. In response to David’s sincere desire to change, God was compassionate toward him and readily forgave him. Even though David lost his baby, God rescued him from his mess to bless him with another child, Solomon—means “peace” in the Hebrew language.
And here is how God’s grace turned his mess into success. Of all the many wives and children David had, Solomon the son of David and Bathsheba became an ancestor of Jesus Christ who is also called the “Prince of Peace”.
Thanks for asking those thoughtful questions. It made me ponder the wonder of God who restores me from my miserable mess to bless me with His peace…
jeff olson on December 7, 2010 at 3:17 pm
well said daisymarygoldr!
Invisible on December 13, 2010 at 7:57 am
@ Daisymarygoldr
Thanks for answering my question.
I appreciate it and think I understand what a “man after God’s heart” means, a little more clearly.
It’s not that he was perfect or just like god but that he admitted what he’d done and god knew that inside he wanted to do what was right. And maybe more inportantly, he recognized what he’d done and regreted it.