I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up!!

This morning while I was taking my shower (that seems to be where most of my deep thoughts occur), I was praying for my wife and my newborn child and the doctor appointments they both were to have today. Without going into detail, both are dealing with issues (related to the recent birth) that are concerning at best and very serious at worst.

So, there I was praying in the shower when a song popped into my head. I had just been listening to the song yesterday because I was watching part of a concert video from a gentleman by the name of Brad Stiles, for whom I play guitar. Let me be clear for a second... Brad didn't write the song, so it is not him I'm talking about, ok?

The title of the song I watched is "Healer". Many of you may be familiar with the song, because it was a VERY popular release last year... followed by a widely talked about "scandal".

It seems that the author of the song was promoting it at various events as having been written during a time of struggling with a disease. The song was written as an expression of praise for being delivered through and healed from the disease he claimed to be taking its toll on his body.

Long story short, it turned out that he had essentially made up the story of the disease. Many claimed it nothing more than a gimmick.

The backlash from this was heavy, as one can imagine. Radio stations banned the song. Christians and non-Christians alike expressed disappointment in the character of the author and spouted rhetoric about how godly or ungodly this man must be.

So... here I am in the shower with this song of hope... song of healing... desire to let God be in control of my family's situation being reminded to me in song. A song with so much baggage associated with it.

As I continued to dwell on my prayers and on this song, I recalled sitting with Brad backstage before one of our shows and talking about the purpose of the song. I remembered talking about how God uses the unfit and how even though this man didn't have the disease he claimed, he was/is still definitely in need of God's healing. I remembered talking about how God's purpose is greater than man's and how God tends to use the least of us for the greatest of things... even when we are unworthy.

My thoughts then drifted to Matthew 18. Not particularly controversial, many believers use this as our guide for dealing with sin issues with our brothers and sisters in Christ. I have heard countless times about the "steps" involved with dealing with such an incident... ending (in extreme and irreconcilable situations) with the stopping of fellowship with the other individual.

I started to think that perhaps as Christians, we often miss the greater point. I started to think about how (according to something like Matthew 18) people turned away from the song "Healer" and its author because they saw him as unfit and didn't want this scandal to corrupt their worship. But I couldn't convince myself that this was good or proper application. Let's face it... we are all sinners. Yes, even you reading this right now... certainly me.

You see, I don't think the concept of Matthew 18 was meant to protect you and me from the sins of others... like some people assume. If I look at the chapter in whole, I see God's desire for us to receive Him. I see God's desire for us to be servants of others instead of ourselves. I see God's concern for the individual who has gone astray. I see God's desire for sin to be RECONCILED so that fellowship can be restored... NOT so that we can be protected from those that sin. That would be impossible for us to do.

I'll tell you what Christians need to be protected from: We need to be protected from the idea that having it all together is what God requires. We need to be protected from "playing Christian". We need to be protected from the fear of the judgment involved with hanging our dirty laundry out where others can see it.

I'm not excusing the sins of others nor am I excusing my own. I'm not suggesting that we don't follow Matthew 18.

I'm suggesting that we follow it with the heart of wanting to restore a fellow believer in fellowship to God... not because of how it impacts us.

I'm suggesting that we rejoice in the fact that God can still use a song like "Healer" to reach those with the truth of God's grace and mercy... even when the person delivering it has stumbled.

I'm suggesting that we be thankful to our great and merciful God for using us in spite of our lacking and healing us in spite of what we deserve.

"I believe You're my healer. I believe You're more than enough for me."

Thank you God for loving me... not because of my sins, but in spite of them.

In Him,
Jim