Spiritual Roadblocks
Theme of the Week: What's to Confess?
Monday, May 11, 2009
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"—and I am the worst of them all (1 Timothy 1:15). Bonus Reading: Luke 18:9-14
Invited to speak at a church men's dinner, I settled on a talk-show format with two coworkers at our inner-city mission. Tom, a late-in-life convert to faith, grew up in the sixties listening to the Beatles and the Grateful Dead. He brought to us his carpenter's ability to fix anything … and ended up mentoring my other guest. Sugar Will, a son of the inner city, was 30 years Tom's junior and loved rap music. But the two connected. Tom played pool with Sugar Will and helped him get his life on track.
I led off with Sugar Will, "What's Tom really like?"
"Well," Sugar Will replied, "he doesn't pretend to be perfect like other Christians. I guess it's because he's made mistakes."
After the audience laughter subsided, I followed up: "What do you mean?"
"Most Christians I know walk around like they never done nothin' bad, like they're perfect. But I can talk to Tom, 'cause he's done bad stuff too." Sugar Will had innocently indicted all of us who inadvertently project an alienating I've-got-it-all-together-How-about-you? message. People like Sugar Will will never open up to those they feel judged by. And that prevents them from approaching the God they desperately need.
—Bruce Main in Spotting the Sacred
My Response: I'd be more credible if I opened up about my struggles with …
Adapted from Spotting the Sacred (Baker, 2006) by permission.
Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
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My need to confess sin and be cleansed is as great as ever. Don't let me to pretend otherwise.
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