i have to be honest. when i got to the assassin of amped emotions chapter, i thought, “ah…finally, something that doesn’t apply to me.”

except for some very fleeting moments, i am a very calm person. i don’t throw tantrums. i hate yelling. i rarely get angry. i’m not much of a grudge holder and i am typically not a vengeful person.

and then i got through a couple more pages and read this:

DEAR FREAKING IDIOT!!!
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!???!! DO YOU HAVE A BRAIN!!?? I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!!! PUSH ME AGAIN, YOU SCUM SUCKING PENCIL-NECKED GEEK, AND I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!!!!!

i don’t know how mike and jud hacked into my email account and found that email, but oh boy, am i embarrassed!!

there have been times where i have sent that email. there have been times when i have posted that comment on a blog when i disagreed with someone. i have used the ALL CAPS and the !!??!! many times before.

and as the book says, it’s usually over really tiny things that don’t matter.

there was a time, just a few months ago, when i read an email that i wasn’t supposed to. i wasn’t snooping around or anything; it just got sent to me on accident. and there was a very snippy remark in it, which i assumed was about me.

i was FIRED UP. livid. super, duper annoyed and just flat-out ticked at the people who were involved in the conversation.

i wrote one of those kinds of emails and right before hitting that send button my boss came in my office.

he instantly knew something was off (as i mentioned earlier – i really don’t get visibly upset) and we talked (meaning: i vented) about the situation. i (proudly) read him my response to their supposed immaturity and he said,

“you probably shouldn’t send that.”

he was right.

that’s when it really hit me: i can let my emotions get the best of me.

i closed out the email and spent a lot of time thinking about the entire situation. even if my response seemed justifiable (there’s that word again)…i was lacking SERIOUS humility.

a week later, i got the word “grace” tattooed inside my right wrist. a little drastic, perhaps, but it is now a constant reminder of the grace i have received and the grace i need to give.

it’s also really hard to flip someone off in dallas traffic when you see the word “grace” as your hand’s flying up to shoot them the bird.

anger, jealousy, bitterness – they can all get the best of us. this assassin moves quickly and wrecks our common sense.

deep breath. deep, deep breath.

there you go.

breathe.

today, meet the assassin known as zi qi qi ren.

zi qi qi ren is chinese for “self deception while deceiving others.” although we talked a little bit about deception yesterday, this is a much more intentional covering up. a concealing. completely hiding.

my favorite part of this chapter:

one of my friends was a pastor of a large church. for a number of years, he was living a double life. on one hand, he was a terrific pastor, inspiring leader, amazing husband to a beautiful wife and great father to a plethora of children. that was the only way i had ever seen him. however, he was secretly having an affair with another woman – for years.

and like the book says, the truth eventually came out. everyone was shocked.

chris and i still keep in touch with him. and after his confession (although it took a long time) he said he has never understood grace so deeply than how he understands it now.

we live in a society where we are scared to talk about our deepest struggles and our biggest mistakes. we think as long as it’s hidden, we’re safe.

were my friend’s life, family, ministry, his job…were they safe as he kept his sin concealed?

it sure seemed that way. fear had entangled him into secrecy. but none of those things were really safe.

why?

truth wins.

god is a god of grace. HUGE, gigantic, ENORMOUS grace. i pray we can only become more like him. as leaders, we need to create a culture in which transparency is valued and grace is extended.

also from the book:

You can suffer in secrecy for a long time. Or, you can start being the leader you were, and are, meant to be.

if you are reading this and you’re thinking, “oh crap. oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. i have this thing i need to confess…”

DO IT.

do NOT live in the shame any longer. do not be self deceived. don’t deceive others.

it could totally jack up your family.
it could totally jack up your ministry.
it could totally jack up your reputation.

but confessing it will SET YOU FREE.

What are your secrets that you are afraid might come out? Is it better to live in fear or freedom?

shame and fear are from satan who wants to keep you in the dark.
conviction and confession are from God who wants to bring you into the light.

do it. own up to it.

there is amazing grace waiting for you on the other side.

i got a copy of my friend mike foster’s and jud wilhite’s new book, deadly viper character assassins. something i have always appreciated about mike is his cut-and-dry honesty, and the deadly viper book is no exception of that trait. over the next few days, i’ll be hitting briefly on some of the things that stood out to me personally in this book (aside from its amazing design and layout).

today, i want to talk about the assassin of character creep. in summary, character creep is the killer who knocks us out in the small details of our life.

it’s the temptation to not claim all my contract work on my taxes because i know not everyone who hired me is reporting me to the IRS. it’s the temptation to blame traffic when i’m late for work when in actuality, i didn’t want to pull away from watching maroon 5 on the today show. it’s the temptation to justify why i am really watching maroon 5 on the today show (it wasn’t just the music…)

these have been some of my real, honest-to-god temptations.

a million little thoughts like this have always crossed my mind, and have probably always crossed yours too. we are always looking for the small ways to justify little missteps. when we’re searching for ways to find justification, chances are we probably shouldn’t be doing whatever it is that needs to be justified to begin with.

one of my favorite lines from this chapter is,

“we must acknowledge whether we are cutting corners and identify where we are vulnerable. when the pressure comes, will we be able to stand the force, or will our hull be compromised?”

it’s the little things. the little things nobody will ever know about.

we think we’re safe.

we think we’ll never be found out.

but the truth is when we make these little compromises, we’ve just been taken down by the assassin of character creep.

get dirty:
where are some of the areas in which you are tempted to fudge the details? your turn. spill it.

It might not be
The prettiest thing that you’ll ever see
But it?s a new day, oh baby, it?s a new day
And it might not look like
A beautiful sunrise
But it’s a new day, oh baby, it?s a new day

(Robbie Seay Band)

prayer.

i want to know how can i pray for YOU this week? how can WE (this community of bloggers) pray for you? just knowing we are all interceding on each others’ behalf is really, really cool. so…

what’s going on in your world that we can pray about for you?