Battles Behind Closed Doors - Christian Motivation

0:00So many people are struggling in the world today with battles. For some, they're fighting hidden and faceless battles. Others are facing internal battles. There are even those who only fight their battles behind closed doors. They still lift their hands up in church. They still sing loud during praise and worship. But when they get home, when they close the door behind them, they are in a fight. And so, you have a perfect cocktail for depression, anxiety, stress, addictions, and lots of other issues. The sad reality of this world is that people are dealing with incredibly difficult circumstances. And one lesson we all have to learn in this life is that trouble is inevitable. But my brothers and sisters, I'd like to submit to you that it's how we interpret and deal with that trouble that determines how well we're able to handle it. Many people go through life believing that they should not experience any trouble,

1:03leaving them upset and bitter when it comes. Some believe that if they live a good, honorable, law-abiding life, no serious trouble will come their way. But life has a way of reminding us that it is no respecter of persons. Trouble falls on the righteous and the wicked. On the rich and the poor, trouble falls on everyone, regardless of skin color or religion even. No one is exempt from trouble. Sickness and disease don't care about how good you are. Tornados, earthquakes, and hurricanes all don't care about your list of good deeds. We will all face problems. The question then is not how can we avoid trouble in issues in our lives, but how can we better deal with them? The first thing we need to know is that you are not your issues. We are obsessed, particularly in Western culture, with labels.

2:03We feel the pressure, the need to put labels on everything. However, sometimes our labels attach identities to people based on their struggles. For example, someone that struggles with addiction is an addict. Someone that struggles with alcohol is an alcoholic. Someone that is fallen into adultery is an adulterer. Someone that wrestles with fornication is labeled a fornicator. Do you see the problem with this? It's marrying a person's issues and struggles with their very beings and identities. This is a violation of the image of God in human beings. So I want to tell you today that this is not how God sees us. God does not see us for our issues. The Lord does not see us for our struggles. But God sees us for who we are in Him. We are created for a purpose. We are created with gifts and a calling. Experiencing a problem or an issue in this journey of life should not be your identity.

3:06You are so much more in Jesus. God does not see us where we are but rather for where He is taking us. To God, you are not defined by your struggles or your issues. God can see past your issues to see the real person underneath. Who were you before the struggles? Who were you before the trauma and the crises and the baggage and the broken hearts? That is who God sees you as. Now, if we allow God to, he can take us through the process of healing to overcome those struggles, crises, traumas, baggage and broken hearts. God is in the restoring business. You are not your issues. We must always remember this. Our identities are based in Christ and not on our issues. To God, you are not an alcoholic. You are his child who is struggling with alcohol.

4:09You are not an addict. You are his child who is struggling with addiction. To God, you are not a fornicator. You are his child struggling with fornication. Now, in saying that, I do want to be clear and tell you that sin is still sin. God does not tolerate sin. He loves you. You as his child, even though you are struggling with sin. This should never be an excuse for us to continue living a life of sin, though. We should fight, strive and be resilient to live righteously before him. There will be things you struggle with, but ultimately, you can struggle while you're being set free and being delivered, or you can struggle with sin and do nothing about it, which is wrong. God does not identify you with your sin any more than you identify your children with their mistakes. No matter how many mistakes your children make, they are always your children. There is nothing they can do that can take them out of that designation.

5:13In the same way, the Bible says, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing you can do can take you outside the realm of God's grace and mercy. Your issues do not define you. You are defined by love. You are not the alcohol you struggle with. You are not the addiction that holds you captive. You are not the depression that suffocates you. You are not the trauma that has been inflicted on you. You are a child of God.

6:13You are beloved so much so that while you were yet a sinner, Christ died for you. So many of us struggle because we have believed the labels placed upon us. We believe that we are alcoholics, drunkards, addicts, liars, and thieves. However, the Bible tells us that when we accept Christ, we are new creations. The old things have passed away and all has been made new. Our former selves have been erased by the grace and mercy of God. Then the only label that God sees is forgiven, loved, saved, redeemed, and child, if we are going to embrace labels, let it be those labels. Let it be the labels that God has placed on us. We can scour Scripture for perfect people. We won't find any except Jesus.

7:15Even the stories of the so-called heroes of faith that we tell our children, these people were plagued with tons of issues. Abraham struggled with faith and lying as did his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Do they identify themselves as doubters or as liars? Is that their identity? Moses succumbed to anger and murder, so how should he be identified now? David had issues of lust, power, control, and adultery. What's his identity? Solomon wrestled with idolatry as did most of the kings after him. Jesus' disciples fought their own individual battles, which included anger, impulsiveness, and doubt. Regardless of what their issue was, God used each and every one of these people. Not after they no longer had issues, but while they still had issues. God doesn't need you to be perfect in order to use you. If you are willing, God can use you right now.

8:19The only prerequisite to being used by God is willingness, not perfection. So remember who you are in God. You are not your issues. You are his child. You are loved and you are the apple of his eye. That is the only identity that matters.