Transcript
I know that I am talking right now to people who say, "Wow, Paul, I've wounded people with my words. I've used words as a gun, as a hammer, as a saw; and I don't know what to do. How does that ever, ever get turned around? It seems overwhelming to me."
A Confession About Anger
Well, I want to make a confession here. There was a point in my life when I was a very angry man. I didn't know I was an angry man. My wife knew, my kids knew, but I didn't know. That anger was incredibly destructive and much of that anger was the anger of words, words that should have never been spoken, words that harmed and damaged and discouraged and, in places, destroyed.
I'll never forget the moment where God began to put His mirror in front of me and I saw myself as I actually was. I tell you what filled my heart. I was filled with grief. I was filled with regret and I was overwhelmed. Regret. I wished I could have turned back the years. I wished I could have yanked words out of the ears of my children. I wish the narrative of my language could be rewritten, but it couldn't be.
Overwhelmed, I thought, "How am I ever going to speak in the right way? How is this ever going to be turned around?" And so, I want to address that with the person who's in that position. First of all, you've got to rest in God's timing. God always reveals things to you at the right moment. I'm a very impatient guy and I think if I had been on the joystick, Adam and Eve would have fallen that morning; in the afternoon, Jesus would come; and by the evening, the story would have been over.
God's Perfect Sense of Timing
You have these thousands of years where God's working this process and then at this moment, Jesus comes to earth and the Bible says He comes just at the right moment. God has a perfect sense of timing. He's bringing these things to you in the glory of His wisdom at this moment. Entrust that to the Lord.
Second thing is regret is actually the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit. What a sweet thing it is that your heart is now tender, that what was okay for you is not okay anymore. Listen, the angels are singing. This is a moment of grace and if it's a moment of grace, then God is not leaving you to yourself. He's giving you Himself.
It is not your job to turn this around. It's your job to respond to His grace. It's not your job to restore. You couldn't do that if you wanted to. It's His job to restore. It's your job to confess your need, to seek the resources of His help in His church, in His Word; and believe that as you seek Him, He will restore what you couldn't restore.
Emmanuel: Jesus Lives Where I Live
It's a sweet thing to know that Jesus takes the name Emmanuel, not just because He comes to earth, but this is even more radical, mind-boggling. He makes me the place where He lives. God knew that my need was so great that He just didn't come to me. He literally unzipped me and got inside of me.
Think about this. When you measure your potential, you tend to measure your potential by your track record and how big the problem is. My potential is literally Christ. He's in me. It's no longer I who lives, but Christ lives inside of me. This turnaround can happen because Christ now lives inside of you and He's now planted this desire inside of you for a new and better way. The gospel is this glorious message of fresh starts and new beginnings because Christ is alive and He's made me the place where He dwells.
