“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”- 2 Corinthians 7:10
“The experience of loss does not need to be the defining moment of the story. Instead, the defining moment can be our response to the loss. It is not what happens to us that matters so much as what happens in us.”- George Sittser, A Grace Disguised
Kyle Idleman continues his discussion of brokenness in Chapter 3 of AHA by noting that life’s disappointments will bring about one of two different responses:
1. we cry out to God in desperation
2. we distance ourselves from God
The choice is ours. If we allow God to use our difficult circumstances to wake us up, ultimately we will draw closer to Him. For when we find ourselves in the Distant Country, it’s a matter of when, not if, our decisions will catch up with us.
Pastor Idleman cites a personal example of poor decision-making. While in Las Vegas to preach at a church, Kyle decided to: rent a convertible despite 114 degree temperatures, stay in a hotel located right behind a casino, leave the hotel looking extremely disheveled because he was running late, and have an open bottle of root beer in the car. He was stopped by Las Vegas Police on suspicion of- drunken driving. The police assumed Kyle had been on an all-night bender, given the circumstantial evidence.
As Pastor Idleman states, he started praying with great fervor!
Today’s question: Have you had a defining moment during your desert, transformational journey? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the new Short Meditation, “Just be held”
