Easy to be proud

Recently I had dinner with a world renowned and super rich businessman and his wife. The name of the business that he founded would be easily recognizable by anyone in the USA except maybe some hermit living in a cave. I’m not nervous around famous or wealthy people, nor do I ever try to impress them or act differently in any way. I do have to admit to experiencing a degree of discomfort however, when this man’s wife began the following conversation:

“WELL… I understand that you’ve written a book. What’s it about?”

Sigh… I knew that if she already knew that I had written a book that she was fully aware of what it was about. I was sure that the dinner party host had filled her and her husband in on the salacious details of my sordid life prior to becoming a Christian.

I answered, “Yes ma’am, it’s an autobiography; it’s about my life”.

I knew that answer would not fly, but what the heck it was worth a try. Sure enough she wasn’t about to let me get away with that answer. She immediately pressed forward with the full court press for details. I would have much preferred to discuss the upcoming presidential election, marlin fishing in Australia, the war in Libya, their latest adventure in Argentina, global warming, the economy, turkey hunting, the insatiable lust for spending by the Democrats, or whatever.

It is sometimes embarrassing and humiliating to me to discuss my life and that I was a homeless drug addict, alcoholic, violent criminal especially in situations such as this with a complete stranger, (particularly of world renowned stature), at a formal dinner party. I can stand before thousands of people and not be uneasy, but there is something about a one on one conversation in a personal or intimate situation that occasionally makes me uneasy.

Regardless of any discomfort I just went right to the heart of the matter and went directly to what she wanted to hear and told her in graphic detail all of the gore and chaos of my former life and my conversion to Christianity and ultimate climb out of the gutter.

Upon hearing it, this world famous person of distinction immediately began pouring her heart out about someone in her immediate family that was suffering in similar fashion and how they had put them in the finest rehab facilities that money could buy no less than an astounding 32 times. (Yes, even the rich and famous families suffer with addictions and problems in this world just like the rest of us.)

She was amazed that I got off drugs and alcohol without going to rehab at all and wanted to know how I did it. I said, “The answer is simple; I did it through my faith in Jesus Christ and I quoted Phil. 4:13. Before leaving that night I went out to the car and got a book and gave her and her husband a copy and they insisted that I autograph it for them. She excitedly told me that she would begin reading it that very night.

Hmmm… I have told many people that my autobiography is not about ME, but the power of God to transform someone’s life. Why would that ever be a source of embarrassment or humiliation?

It wouldn’t be unless I was trying to make it about ME and that premise was being helped along by satan’s primary tool “foolish pride” clouding my mind.

We should never be uneasy or worse ashamed of telling how God came into our lives and through His amazing grace saved our sin filled lives and cleansed us whiter than snow.

It is amazing! It is powerful! It is wonderful! We should be shouting that message from the rooftops and praising God’s holy name anywhere and everywhere we can…

I got a long letter today from someone who had a very compelling testimony. My advice to him today was to share that riveting testimony with others. Yes he made some bad mistakes. So what? Most everyone has some skeletons in their closet.

I advise each of you not to be embarrassed or humiliated because you made some mistakes, (even serious mistakes), nor concentrate on them aside from the extent that they magnify the Lord’s awesome transformational power.

Be proud of our Father who loved us enough to change our lives.

You see it really isn’t about us, or our pride of life. It’s about our Father in heaven. We should desire to please Him, not ordinary men and women.

Freely offer your testimony to one and all and don’t be ashamed!

Matt. 10:31
“If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven.