“You’re One Of My Favorites!”
Mentoring a group of guys for a year is like a roller-coaster ride. Somehow you know it’s going to be good in the end, but you’re just never prepared for all the ups and downs, the shock of the sharp curves and the unexpected drops that literally make you sick for a minute. (at least they do me!)
You see one man open up, share his heart and invite God to change everything about him that’s not like Jesus. You see another guy play “Sunday school”; say just enough to seem involved, but stay hidden, cut off, alone and lonely. Just when you think a dude is ready for a breakthrough, he runs and hides from the Truth. But then you see a man who has stiff-armed God forever surrender in tears. And you weep like a girl.
There’s one exercise in Radical Mentoring no one seems to escape. It’s called the “Letter from God” and it comes on the graduation retreat.
The men are sent off in solitude. They’re instructed to acknowledge God’s power and authority over them (and everything). They confess whatever could cause “static on the line” between them and God, and they thank Him for His forgiveness.
Then, with pen in hand, they ask God to write them a letter. Yes, God. Asked to write a personal letter. To them. Individually.
The pattern follows the one in Revelation, when God spoke letters to the churches. He started by calling them by name….”to the church at Ephesus”, “to the church at Sardis” and so on. Each of these letters begins with God saying what He’s proud of them for. He tells them what He likes about them and where they’re doing well. Then God says “But this I hold against you” and He spells out where that church has gone off track. “You’ve lost your first love.” “You’re neither hot nor cold.” God then spells out the consequences if the church doesn’t repent and change its ways. He ends by casting a vision of the blessings that will come if they do repent and get on track. He affirms them.
On the retreat, the guys write “Dear _______” and fill in their own name. Then they ask “God, what are you proud of me for?” and they write down what comes into their minds. Sometimes this is the hardest part. It can be hard to believe God is proud of us for anything… but He is. Then they ask “God, what do you hold against me?” and they write down what they hear. “What will life be if I don’t repent from what you hold against me?” is the next question they ask. Again, they write down what they “hear”. And finally they ask God “What will my life be like if I do repent from what you hold against me?” and they write down the vision He shows them. When they finish writing what they sense God is saying to them, they sign the letter “Love, God”.
When the men in my Radical Mentoring groups have done this assignment, they (and I) have been blown away with the insights they’ve received. Twenty-year-old wounds have been healed. Conflicts that have been avoided for twenty years have been brought front and center. Blind spots have found sight. And stuff that’d been “stuffed” for years has burst into plain view.
God is far more available to us than we think. He loves us so stinkin’ much and wants what’s best for us. It’s us, with our prideful, “I can handle it” or our faithless theology that questions God speaking to us at all. Ask any of the men in this picture if God spoke to them this weekend. (See the website if you are getting this via email.)
God gives us so much affirmation when we seek Him. As one of the guys was finishing his letter, he wrote these words from God at the end…
”You’re one of my favorites!”
He burst into tearful laughter.
Isn’t that just like a perfect father? To tell a son he’s one of his favorites? That boy knows his dad is telling every one of his sons the same thing. But that doesn’t make it any less true. Or less meaningful.
Take time this week to seek God. Ask Him to show you what He’s proud of you for…what He holds against you. Ask Him to give you a picture of what life will be like if you don’t change and what it might be like if you do. Ask Him for the strength to surrender your will to His. And then do it.
Listen for that “still small voice” to tell you He loves you.
Because He does.
You’re one of His favorites!
Question: When was the last time you truly asked God to speak to you? Please comment here.
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Responses (6)
This is powerful, awesome, and scary. I am going to add it to my to-do list.
This was my sixth time. God seems to always surprise me with something I don’t see coming. Really good stuff.
When I went through this, I entered into the exercise skeptical of hearing anything from God. I soon found out, through what was revealed to me, it was the ultimate reason God lead me into Radical Mentoring. I keep that letter in a safe.
It’s special for sure!
I pulled out my letter from 2010 this morning after reading the blog. Then I re-read my letter from Sara from the graduation dinner. I’ve been a mess all day. 🙂
Let’s talk tomorrow