The last three years of Proverbs 31 President Lysa TerKeurst’s life have been almost unbelievable as she discovered infidelity in her marriage and lived through cancer and another life-threatening illness.
Lysa shares openly and honestly about how she lived and led through the deepest personal crisis of her life, how she battled disappointment and how she figured out which parts of her life should be kept personal or private (and why secrecy is such a bad idea).
Welcome to Episode 238 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.
Guest Links
LysaTerKeurst.com | Instagram | Twitter | It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way
Episode Links
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3 Insights from Lysa
1. Christians are addicted to positive outcomes
Humans are addicted to outcomes, especially Christians and specifically positive outcomes.
We’re attached to the way we assume our life should go. When life starts to move a different direction than we think it should, we start doing what Lysa calls “God Pep Rallies” – those times when we say things like, “I know this doesn’t look the way I thought it would, but I know God will work good from this.” And, yes, it’s true that God does that, but the problem with prematurely crafting up the good story behind what God has planned for the hard times we’re facing is that we start holding God accountable for what we ASSUME He should be doing for us.
Yikes. Guilty.
So, remain faithful to receive that goodness from God, but resist the temptation to hurry the process along as if you have any control over the outcome.
2. God doesn’t cause pain, but He does allow it
God will allow hurt, even in his most devoted of followers. He will allow His people to experience unfathomable pain and there are no greater times of confusion, frustration and questions.
If you are in the midst of the most trying of seasons, remember that God didn’t cause the pain, but He is allowing it. You have not been cursed or forgotten. He’s entrusted you to faithfully steward a journey you would have never chosen on your own and He has a plan to use your story for good in ways bigger than you could ever fathom.
3. There’s a difference between secrecy and privacy
When people, especially church leaders or people with a large public following, experience difficult situations, they often feel compelled to let out every single detail of their story. But there’s a big difference in secrecy and privacy when it comes to being fully transparent with the people engaged in your life.
Secrecy is keeping things hidden, so that the sin behind it can be perpetuated.
Privacy is not keeping things hidden for the sake of secrecy, but keeping things hidden for the sake of healing.
Allowing people to be able to identify with the depth of your hurt is a delicate road to walk, for sure. Remember that every last detail doesn’t have to be offered to anyone simply to settle their curiosity. That often distracts from the lessons God wants you and others to learn from the story. It’s okay to keep some things in your life private.
Quotes from Episode 238
Read or Download the Transcript for Episode 238
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Read or download a free PDF transcript of this episode here.
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Next Episode: Jon Gordon
At age 29, Jon Gordon’s wife told him she loved him but couldn’t stand his constant complaining and negativity. He decided to change. His decision led him to radically change his mindset. He became a Christian. Now he consults on positivity with NFL teams, Fortune 500 companies and top leaders around the world. Jon outlines practical ways to stay positive, including how to silence the negative voices in your head and the negative voices in your organization. He regularly appears on CNN, Fox and Friends, The Today Show and more, and has authored 16 books.
Subscribe for free now and you won’t miss Episode 239.
