Reason #8 No Risk

I received this email the other day through my YouTube account. Evidently a reader watched the interview below where I sign off by praying for those who self-injure, i.e. they are cutters.  In case you didn’t know I was a cutter. Turns out the risk was worth it.

Here’s her email:

i was watching 1 of ur interviews…the 1 about the cutting and stuff..and i felt jst lyk u desrcribed..and when u said u were at the point of cutting curse words into ur arms…i …well it was weird…bcuz jst recently thats where i am…and i burst into tears dring ur prayer…i jst cnt take it anymore..i hate me more then anything….i want to kill myself..and i can’t feel god beside me…..i’M SITTING HERE IN CHAINS….and i feel lyk he doesnt care..i feel lyk i’ve done 2 many bad things for him to love me….bcuz i know what i do is wrong…but i do it anyway..then i get scared and ask for forgiveness….but then the next day i jst do it again…like i said..i hav no clue why i’m msging u..but i cant take this anymore …i need help..i need somthing …anything

I emailed this person back and tried to reach out to her. Her main melody line is that she hates herself. 

Here’s what I told her:

You are very close to a breakthrough.
Hating yourself is the first step….but you are missing the other half.
 
Satan…the one who steals, kills, destroys, and the one who loves to see you cut….also wants you to stay frozen in the place of hating yourself. For in that place you are hopeless and you know it. You can’t save yourself.
 
I was a self-injurer for well over a decade. I finally got the place where I hated myself so much, I hated life. There was no escape……and that is the point.
 
Up until that time I told myself I needed to get “cleaned” up before I came to God. What I didn’t know was that my statement was laced with pride. I thought I could actually clean myself up….the truth is nothing can BUT God. He’s the only one who can save us.
 
Hating youself is part of the process….the more important question is what are you going to do with that hate.

Suicide? That will just usher you into God’s presence eye ball to eye ball….it won’t solve your pain….in fact, what God will say is …..you are early….look at all that I had planned for you on earth…then he will show you a full life of happiness and pain and what you would have contributed had you remained on earth….
 
If I would have killed myself at 20 I would have missed being a father of 3, a pastor, a husband of almost 10 years, a 4 time author, etc. At the age of 20, life sucked from my perspective…but that was the turning point.
 
Until that time all I did was hate myself. I had yet to turn to God to save me…and if you kill yourself without having God save you…well, then you are telling God you don’t need his Son and that you want to be measured on your own good…and believe me…none of us is good enough….we need Jesus.
 
Here’s my advice….get past hating yourself….give Satan the cold shoulder and turn to God…ask him to save you…go to him all screwed up…that’s the only way he wants us….i am praying for you and I leave you this verse…..
 
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

We are continuing to dialogue via email. I ask you to pray for her…pray that she continues to hope and live. 

My next book, YOUR SECRET NAME, is one huge risk. That’s why we are fasting and praying for 12 months. The book releases in September and the website next month.

Reason #8 Why it stunk in the past = Vanilla

Reason #8 Why it doesn’t stink = Risks. 

See you soon with Reason #7

A few blogs taking some risks ( i.e they include the human element): Anne Jackson, Ben Arment, and Tullian Tchividjian.