Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday October 20, 2011

During the often perilous course of my life I have attempted to help several people learn to face reality and thus make a decision as to whether to throw in the towel, fight on or change dreams for something more realistic. I prefer dreams no matter whether real or vaporous hopes.

I use hundreds of Bible verses to encourage myself and thus others to keep on and if you do happen to stumble or in moment or period of weakness dive into trouble, when God slaps you back to sanity, get up and follow the dream. Along the way I have gathered a rather large collection of sayings that make the point for the person who believes God through Christ forgives and restores and restarts the dream He has given to us. The one I am using today comes from a seriously unusual source for a Christian Writer.

"If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best teach it to dance." George Bernard Shaw

Through confession, forsaking and the blood of Christ skeletons are removed from the record books of heaven. Tragically this does not carry over to the Internet. So skeletons of whatever nature will often or at least occasionally be dangled around for all to see and commented on. As Shaw implied, teaching skeletons to dance can work wonders in diluting their negative influence.

From his perspective of propagating the gospel of Christ, Paul had some serious skeletons to deal with. The holding the coats of those who murdered Stephen for instance, the persecuting of the earlier Christians. The list goes on ad infinitum.

Not everyone is impressed with dancing skeletons, but enough were thus Paul is revered by millions of people and his writings still shake and shape the world after two thousand years.

I personally know hundreds of Christian leaders who regularly sweat near blood at the thought of their skeleton escaping from the closet and as a result their ministry, even their life being ruined. I am fairly certain that the fear of this happening is more destructive the actuality of such an escape.

As I write the thought struck me, "Larry, why not write a book and titled it, Teaching Your Skeleton to Dance." Any sponsors?

As a boatload of Bible characters with skeletons teach by example, skeletons hidden in closets are more intriguing and thus more hindering than ones that are dancing around for all to see. In David's situation and also in President Nixon's Watergate, the cover up was the downfall. Deal with reality in a biblical way and sincerely learn the necessary lessons from the skeleton give it all to Jesus for cleansing and carry on.

Too many folks go hide in the closet themselves while half the world is holding up their skeleton for ridicule. Learn to get you and your skeleton in the open and enjoy the forgiving and lifting power of Jesus in your free life. The defining act in a Christian's life is the forgiveness of Jesus Christ freely given to them. And you.

Larry Lilly Copyright (C) 2011 Use with credit

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