Relate It!

It is certainly no secret that men do not like to talk about their feelings, especially when those feelings revolve around something that may make them feel embarrassed or vulnerable.  Guys would much rather bottle it up and push it down to the inner depths of their core, where for the most part it remains hidden.  But what happens then?  Does the issue go away?  No!  It festers as if it were a zit on the chin of a freshly 16 year old kid who is about to ask out the girl of his dreams.  It may take hours, days, weeks, or even months but eventually that thing is going to blow.

This is exactly the sort of situation that Jesus wants us to avoid, and not just every once in awhile but all the time!  We all battle certain issues and have our very own crosses to carry everyday.  And you know what, sometimes those crosses feel nearly impossible to carry and we feel as if the whole world is going to crash down on top of us. But Jesus tells us that he wants to help.  He wants to help us carry that cross just as Simon of Cyrene did for him nearly 2,000 years ago. "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30).  God wants to be there for every single time you feel sad, hurt, angry, scared, embarrassed, or any other emotion that comes to mind.  He wants to enter into those dark places and shine light on them so that he can heal them.

OK so what happens to us when we don't relate those things to Christ; when we do not let him enter into the dark places of our very soul?  Remember, Jesus is the PERFECT gentleman and will not go there unless you open the door.  Here is what happens.  At first, you may feel fine.  Those feelings of anger or sadness may go away for a short while.  Great. However, when this happens over time those dark places get filled up.  It is very much like a landfill that eventually reaches capacity with all the garbage that we place down there.  And what happens over time, is that there must be some sort of release and this happens in a variety of ways.  It could be expressed through external noise such as music or TV or sports, which are good things, but can be a giant mask for the problem that is lying underneath.  And even then the problem is not yet resolved, which can lead to more self-destructing habits such as drugs and alcohol.  And when it comes to this, you are not only harming yourself but putting those around you in dangerous and uncomfortable situations, all while your original problem is not yet resolved.

So what does Jesus want us to do when something is off, when something is just not quite right?  He wants us to tell him!  Jesus loves us in our brokenness and wants to heal those places at the very root! Think of your best friend or your significant other.  You know them so well that you can instantly tell when something is not right, when something is just a little bit off.  And how does that make you feel?  You want to help them!  You want them to come to you because you want to resolve whatever issue is going on inside.  Jesus is the same way except so many times more!  Jesus wants to hear your problem and better yet, being the divine physician that he is, he can heal that wound.  He can dig around in there, fix the break, and close up the wound leaving no scars.  But it is up to us to give him that opportunity.

Tell Jesus your problems.  Relate everything to him.  And do not hold anything back.  I mean, really, he knows you better than you do.  Jesus knows everything that is going on inside that mess of a head that we all have and wants nothing more than to figure everything out.  So let him.  The consequences are far too serious if we don't.  You harm yourself.  You break bonds with people that truly care about you, and you put yourself in a very scary place.  As my boss always tells me...be clear, simple, and easy with Jesus.  After that, the rest is well...clear, simple, and easy.