I recently received an e-mail from a reader. In the e-mail the reader thanked me for a column that I'd written that served to minister to his heart and he thanked me for writing it. At the same time, he shared with me that he'd been going through some ups and downs and changes and turnarounds.
The brother was responding to the piece I did talking about how I used the Word to bring comfort to me when I was troubled in my spirit. It was about my testimony of how I prayed in tongues and glorified God while listening to praise and worship music. I'd been greatly troubled over some things that weren't quite going right in my life, but my testimony was that after I came out of that hour of prayer and worship in tongues, that burden was removed and that yoke destroyed by the power of the Holy Ghost.
The brother who contacted me said something to this effect: I need to talk to someone far removed from my life at this point because I feel so lost and lonely at times and just do not know where to turn but to God. The reader said: There are times, however, that I do not know if my faith is strong enough to sustain His blessings. I keep holding on and have ben for quite some time. I need a real change in my life, but (I'm) not sure how to do that.
He goes on to say: I pray each and every day for that change, but somehow I do not feel that I can share what is in my heart and mind with anyone because I simply do not trust people regardless (of) how minute my situation may be. Please pray for me that I may have the strength to lift this burden. After church services, I go back to that lonely world taht keeps me unhappy most of the time.
Brethren, this brother mentioned that he does have a good church home and a good pastor.The reason why I'm sharing this with you is that I know that this individual is not the only one out there who has battles that seem so overwhelming and insurmountable, even though he (or she) may belong to a good, Word-based church. So, this message is not just for the brother that contacted me, but also anybody else who may be experiencing these types of emotional challenges.
Like I responded to this brother, I want to share with you, my other readers, friends and brethren in the body of Christ. None of us is as strong as we may appear to be. We all need someone else to turn to for re-affirmation and encouragement at times. That's why even pastors have spiritual mentors (or advisors). As strong as I am, I'm not ashamed to admit that I, too, have human frailties. I go to my spiritual mentor (and/or a close friend) for help with problems, when I need to. Let's remember that God hates pride. Not only does He hate pride, but He hates a proud look. So, in order for us to get the wise counsel that the Lord has told us to seek concerning life's affairs, we can't let pride stop us. We all need somebody to lean on.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of strength and a demonstration of great wisdom. If you're going through an emotional turmoil or any other challenge, please, by all means, turn to your pastor and/or a trusted friend, someone walking in wisdom. Let your pastor help you. Don't wait until things get so out of hand that your problems become nearly impossible to overcome before you decide to let God heal you through your openness with somebody else, namely your pastor. If I just described your situation, know that I'm keeping you lifted up in prayer.
Proverbs 4:7 says Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
When you seek wisdom and get that understanding through wise counsel, you'll find out that life isn't nearly as hard as we make it out to be. We just have to be Christ-centered. Be blessed.