A Personal Admission Statement (for Lent)
by Steve Simms
Success coaches make a big deal about the importance of having a personal mission statement. It’s a good thing to know (and write down) your purpose and the calling on your life.
However, there is another statement that is far more important — a statement that clears the air of self-deception and denial — an admission statement. So, what do we need to admit?
The season of Lent focuses on that. It is a time for humility, for self-examination, for acknowledging our sin (and sins), and for genuine repentance. Lent reminds us of an unpopular truth, that we human beings are all sinners before the perfect and holy God.
The mass of humanity (including Christians) objects to that fact. People say and believe things like: “I’m a good person,” or “I’m not a sinner.” But are those statements accurate about you and me and the rest of humanity? They aren’t according to the Bible.
Jesus said: “There is none good but the Father.” Romans states, “There is none righteous, no not one,” and “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
Numerous Bible characters agreed with God’s assessment of their sinful nature and evil thoughts, words, and actions; by making bold admission statements. The prophet Isaiah said this about himself; “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” And Apostle Paul, wrote: “I am the chief of sinners,” and “I know that within me, that is within my flesh, dwells no good thing,” and “O wretched man that I am!”
The tax collector in the temple made a bold admission statement, “God, have mercy on me a sinner.” Meanwhile, the very religious Pharisee, trying very hard to be a good person, refused to make a sin admission statement. Instead the Pharisee prayed this self-congratulatory prayer; “God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”
As long as we, like the Pharisee, believe that we are good people, we’ll never fully know the incredible depths of God’s grace toward us. Jesus put it this way, “Whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” If we think that we only needed a little bit of forgiveness, we will only have a little bit of love. However, when we realize that because of our personal sin, we need infinite forgiveness (that cost God the death of His Son), we’ll follow and obey the living God with glorious gratitude, passionate praise, and lavish love!
So how can we ever know the depths of our sin and the incredible cost to the Father to give us His grace? We can sincerely pray this prayer of King David. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me.” As we do we can allow God to show us our sin nature and the sins we have committed.
As we behold our wicked ways and see what an incredible degree of forgiveness that God lavishes on us, we will be undone like Isaiah. We will be overcome with thankfulness for Gods awesome mercy and forgiveness — grace greater than all our sin! Then, like the tax collector, we’ll began to make admission statements: “God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
Lent is a wonderful time to write your own, personal admission statement. 1 John 1:8-10 can help you with that. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”
Steve Simms is a Soldier in The Salvation Army in Nashville TN, a Speaker and Author of the Book:
I once heard the story of a captain of a ship whose vessel had run aground and was in the process of sinking. Many people were frantically evacuating on lifeboats, while there were still who were trapped below. A noble captain would make every effort to save everyone, even to the point of one’s own life; but this captain discarded all sense of duty and ethics by abandoning his own ship, leaving the rest of the passengers to fend for themselves, many perished for lack of rescue.
Christ called not the qualified, but he qualified the called. We don’t need to wait for that degree to be completed before we commit to His mission. We don’t need to wait until we are older before we commit to His mission, nor should we delay for any other reason!! The God of Abraham and Moses and David, still calls us to go. The God the disciples served still calls us to go into all the world. Our mission hasn’t changed, but has our priorities? Have we neglected our first love? Have we become distracted by other missions and other “services” that really have nothing to do with His mission? If so, perhaps it’s time to discard those distractions…and once again follow Him.
1 Admit to the wrongs
3 Seek Reconciliation:
A vast majority of our Generals have been Westerners. I am not saying this as an incendiary comment, it is simply fact. The top percentage of our international leaders are those who hale from the Americas, Australia and the United Kingdom, save for a few. This is not to say that there are not leaders who come from other regions in the world, but by and large most are Westerners. This is where a majority of the Army’s funds come from, where world services support is raised. I do not presume to know much of the politics in our army, but I do know that prosperous territories generally have a larger, albeit unspoken, sway to how the army operates. The power of the resource can often dictate the direction in which those resources are utilized in the world for the purpose of the army. Thus, if this was to be a “safe” election at High Council, the election choice could follow suit of so many other past Generals in terms of nationality and region of origin.
Many times we take this imperfect blueprint of friendship, with all of its flaws, lies, broken trusts, and betrayals and we transpose it onto what we think we know about God. We think that either God doesn’t listen to us, or perhaps He just doesn’t care that much for us. We make assumptions that aren’t based upon God at all, but rather on the experiences of our world and those in it. The truth is that God isn’t from this world, He is out of it, and as a matter of fact, He created this world. Going even further, God ACTUALLY walked with Adam and Eve at the beginning of all things just to fellowship with them. He truly cared about them.
Many of us learn this the hard way from time to time, but not all Christians ACTUALLY care about you or will invest their time in your life. Be mindful of this. I am certainly not advocating that we do not trust other Christians, but be aware of who you confide in and use your common sense. Yes, we ought to be vulnerable before other Christians, but if the “Christians” that you are around don’t encourage, or share their lives with you, then perhaps you should be careful not to overshare. There might even be times where you should seek out other groups of Christians who might be more compassionate and attentive. Find Christ-followers who will build you up, challenge you and edify your walk with Christ. Proverbs 4:23 applies to your mentors and peers as well, so guard your heart!
Lastly, I wish to tread carefully here.
The generous couple wept for joy as did Beverly as the gift was gladly received. Having gone through so much pain in the last year, Beverly and her children received a very special Christmas gift. “I can go to the grocery store and take both of my kids now, this is simply wonderful!” Beverly is more than a little overwhelmed with the kindness of these strangers that are now friends. It is a Christmas present that is gladly offered and tearfully received!
Pastor's Ponderings 