A Case Study
Here is real correspondence with one whose life is broken. Are you ready to help such a one?
Dear Pastor Burchett:
You and your wife are about the loveliest people I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in a long, long time. I wanted to at least come once on your last night at the Conference and tell you how much I like the song you and your wife sang.
I believe if I had come alone or with anyone else but my mother, I would have come over and talked with you. But I could not get out of the house without her. We came over every night and sat about three or four rows back from the front on the extreme opposite side from you. We drove over in silence, drove back in silence, sat in the tabernacle in silence and she was always about the first person to leave. She laughed at all your jokes and yawned thru your last two important messages. If I asked someone else to come with us, she wouldn’t go and if I told her I wasn’t going, she won’t go.
I’ll be honest with you, I wanted very badly to come over to talk with you, but I wouldn’t in front of my mother. I truly feel that our parents and our upbringing have a lot to do with the way we act in real life. I’m a very nervous person — one of those kind that perspire a lot — my hands and feet are always wet.
I became a born-again Christian when I was 16 years old but as wonderful as it was, it was very short lived. In fact, I went to see a minister when I was 20 years old for help and no sooner got sat down in his office when his wife phoned to tell him supper was ready. So I shut my mouth and frankly haven’t opened it since.
My parents aren’t Christians — in fact — sometimes I think we’re three little children all living under the same roof and all having never growed up.
I’m 32 years old now, very disappointed, for I feel I am a complete failure and now perhaps I may even have lost God as He called me once again this year, for the first time in a long time, and seven months have passed and I still haven’t done anything. My downfall is not being able to tell other people about Jesus. To tell you the truth, I don’t want to tell anyone — I figure everyone already knows — and the way people are today, they couldn’t care less. The first part of this year, the Lord gave me such a strong desire in my heart to talk about Him, but I just could not get the words out of my mouth.
Time is fast running out for all of us and I truly wish I would do something for I know so many people and really — who wants to go to Hell?
But, I am a physical, spiritual and mental wreck. My mother is alone all day and probably likes going to a conference just to be around people, but I’m the extreme opposite. I can’t ever remember being alone. I feel as if I don’t have any character, no personality, I can’t force myself to do anything even if I want to and I can’t even carry on a conversation. I hardly talk at all any more and think I’m about ready to climb the walls.
I feel as if I can never do justice to my Lord Jesus — and if I ever committed my life to Him, I’d probably go back on my word, which would break both our hearts. Every time I meet someone, which is more times than I care to count, I feel I should ask them if they know Jesus, but I’m too scared to even try.
Don’t know if you’ll have time to reply to this letter or not, but I just wanted you to know that about every subject you spoke on — Dread of Man, Unbelief, Guilt Feelings — all hit home to me. I’m truly sorry I didn’t get to talk to you in person for I feel it might have helped me quite a bit.
Sincerely,
REPLY TO “I’M A WRECK”
Dear Miss________:
I am very sorry to be so long in replying to your letter of early August. It got bounced around quite a bit during my vacation time and I am just now getting to it. Please forgive me.
Probably one of your most serious problems is that of passivism. You have become unwilling to will. However, behind this seemingly helpless condition is always a strong, sinful will. All of us have this danger ever before us. If God’s Word is true, you can be different and life can be new for you. Study I Corinthians 10:13 and Philippians 4:13.
God’s Word in those texts is telling us that we shall never be boxed in and made helpless and hopeless, because His Grace is always available to help.
Remember, you must choose that help and seek God with your entire heart. That will mean perfect honesty before Him. The Bible tells us to seek God with all our heart. Study this in Psalm 119. Look up those verses which speak of the whole heart.
Then study Colossians 1:13 and deliberately and definitely claim that from Christ and set out again to get His Word into your heart and establish communication in prayer with the Lord. He waits for you.
Don’t blame any relationship nor allow any relationship to hinder you. Do God’s will above all else and may He bless you,
Yours in Christ,
Harold E. Burchett, Pastor