What are your nevers? The things you say you’ll never, ever do? These nevers can be huge stumbling blocks in your faith, and I want to discuss them with you today.
Discovering Our Nevers
I’m learning more about my nevers from this excellent book by Brittany Rust, called Untouchable.
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In this book, Brittany shares her terrible downfall caused by one of her nevers – that she’d never commit adultery in her service of Christian ministry. This caused a spiritual, emotional, and social downturn she never saw coming. Yet by the grace of God, she recovered from it, and now makes it her mission to warn others about those areas that we consider untouchable – what I’m calling our nevers today.
What are your nevers? The things you say you'll never, ever do? These nevers can be huge stumbling blocks in your faith. #faith #trustGod #spiritualgrowth Click To TweetMy Nevers
I’m going to be really honest with you here. These are a few of my nevers:
- Get drunk
- Smoke or do drugs
- Commit adultery
- Get divorced
- Abuse someone
- Become a toxic person
- Slander
- Steal
- Murder
- Revoke my faith
I’ve held onto some of those nevers for a long time. The first ones are directly related to my past hurts, which I detail on my podcast for adult children of divorce. Many are things Christians are warned against doing in the Bible. I held tightly to these nevers in my pride and fear.
Some of these nevers are still true of me. Others I’ve stepped into via shades of grey. Still others, I’ve committed 100 percent. They have all been blind spots for me, because I put them on the “never” shelf in my heart and ignored their importance.
Yet Satan knew exactly where my nevers were located. He loves to attack us either where we are very weak, or where we perceive ourselves to be very strong. Satan knew my weaknesses and pounced on them just when I was too hungry, angry, lonely or tired to fight them off. He also saw the tiny cracks in my areas of strength and tempted me in my arrogance. My nevers are never safe from Satan’s attacks.
I’m reading this book before I attend a co-ed conference this summer. The never about committing adultery? I’m throwing it out right in the open, in front of God, before anything bad can happen. I’m enlisting his help in guarding my heart weeks and months before I ever interact with a man at the conference. Because I love God and want to do right by him, I’m surrendering this never over to his lordship. I know I’ll *never* regret exposing this to God beforehand so he can guide, protect and strengthen me.
I'm throwing this *never* out right in the open before God before anything bad can happen. #intentionalliving #christianliving #neversaynever Click To Tweet
Nevers in the Bible
Brittany Rust does a wonderful job of breaking down Peter’s nevers and what they cost him. See Matthew 26:33-35, 69-75 for the story. At a point of weakness, Peter did what he said he’d never do. Though it cost him greatly, God redeemed Peter’s story for the benefit of the whole Church.
King David may have thought he’d never fall into grave temptation at his time of greatest strength, but that’s exactly what happened. You can read the full story in 2 Samuel 11. His affair with Bathsheba cost him four of his children and weakened his kingdom. Yet I see it as a great sign of David’s humility that he not only repented of his sins, but preserved them in Scripture so we can all learn to avoid these pitfalls in our times of strength.
We can learn so much from the nevers in the Bible. It’s much easier to learn the hard lessons from others that have gone through them, than to learn them from our own mistakes. That’s why reading the Bible daily is so important – it teaches us what to avoid, and what to emulate.
The nevers in the Bible can teach us what to avoid and what to emulate. #biblestudy #christianliving #encouragement Click To TweetWhat Are Your Nevers?
Today I’m asking you: what are your nevers? These things could trip you up if you keep denying they could happen under the right circumstances. They could be stuck in a blind spot of yours, but God can help you bring them into the light.
I pray that you’ll ask God to show you what your nevers are today. May he break down your defenses of denial and ignorance. May he show you both your weaknesses and strengths, and how they may be vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. I pray that God will strengthen and uphold you with his righteous right hand as you admit you need his help in these areas.
May you *never* regret surrendering your nevers over to God.
May you *never* regret surrendering your nevers over to God. #surrender #spiritualgrowth #denial Click To Tweet
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What Are Your Nevers?
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