“He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Psalm 18:19

I have shared my testimony many times.  I was raised in a Christian home and was saved at a young age.  I always had a deep desire to serve the Lord and wanted to fulfill His plans for my life.  When I was a teenager, I began to make many compromises and entered an intense season of rebellion.  I lied to my parents, started a relationship behind their backs, and became sexually active.  All of which were sinful and wrong and all of which caused much pain for all of those involved.  Sin leads to death and it certainly did in my life.  Near the end of my senior of high school, I found out that I was pregnant and I had an abortion.  My sin, which I justified and so did society, caused the death of an innocent child and death to part of my own heart.

Lying to my parents, having sex outside of marriage, and even having an abortion were all legal.  I wasn’t breaking any law.  As a matter of fact, the law regarding the abortion was on my side—at the time of my abortion, it was legal throughout all 9 months of pregnancy.  Society decided that if I disagreed with my parents and the faith that I had committed to and if I felt like I was ready for a sexual relationship, there was nothing wrong with that.  It was my choice and who should challenge me on it?  Who should have anything to say about who I loved or how I chose to live my life?  And when it came to the abortion, it was my body.  No one can tell me that I must allow my child the same rights that I had; the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  If I attached the word “love” to my sin and rebellion, who could tell me what I was doing was wrong?

The culture around me shied away from telling me that I was living a sinful lifestyle that only led to my destruction and the destruction of many innocent people around me.  Even going as far as to legalize my sin to excuse me from consequence.  Thank goodness He didn’t.

Here’s the thing: as a society, we do no one any favors by justifying their sin.  I know what Christ saved me from.  I have a crystal clear memory of the sins that I committed that sent my innocent Savior to death on the cross for me.  I was completely lost and alone due to my life choices—choices I made that society applauded, because I chose them in “love” and rebelled against boundaries and authority and most importantly against the Word of God.  God’s Word is a beautiful story of His love for all us.  Out of that love, He communicates behaviors and motivations that will harm us and will lead to destruction.  Oh sure, it is our prerogative to decide if we will heed His Word, but the amazing thing is whether you believe it or not, obey it or not, it always proves true.  Much like gravity, you can deny its truth, but if you jump from a building your denial will have no effect on the outcome.  Gravity exists. It is true.  So is His Word.

At 19 I found myself completely alone and afraid—lost.  I needed a Savior.  I needed to be rescued.  Society tried to convince me that it was all about me, my happiness, and my freedom to choose.  But when I found myself drowning in the consequences of my own choices, “society” was nowhere to be found.

But in the dark, cold waves of destruction and loneliness—He was there.  He threw me a lifeline.  Because I knew that I needed to be rescued, I reached for Him.

“He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Psalm 18:19

His motivation was as pure in that moment as it was when He penned the Words that warned me of the pain of such choice.  His motivation in His warnings were the same in my rescue.  He delighted in me.  He loved me.

I am saddened by the recent Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex marriage.  Marriage is an institution established by the Father and out of His great love for all people, He created guidelines for our good.  No different than His guidelines regarding sex outside of marriage or murder (abortion).  Whether we are talking about abortion, sex outside of marriage, or homosexuality, our job as Christians is to love people and to point them to Him, because our Rescuer loves them deeply.  The most unloving thing to do, however, is to try and convince a drowning person that they are fine and in no need of His help.  Our society says…”just keep going deeper, deny those waves…it is your right! Oh and now it’s legal!  We will even light up the White House in defiance.  You won’t be able to see, though, from all the salt and sea water in your face.  But look at you, you win!”

Right.  I didn’t need people to justify my sin at the moment of my drowning and call it love winning.  I needed them to love me enough to help me find His loving, outstretched arm in the midst of the storm.

Regardless of what society or the powers that be have to say, those of us who have been lost in the waves of our sin have never heard a more beautiful sound than the loving whisper of the Savior, who treads on those waves, saying, “Take My hand.  I know the way home.”  Love truly does win.

My love,

Buy Candy’s book Rescue here! 

You can swim confidently into the murky waters of parenting teens! Rescue offers wisdom, encouragement, and practical applications. Working with a group of young “Lifeguards” throughout the book, Candy Gibbs gives struggling parents the life preservers they need to rescue teens from a drowning culture. With Biblical insights and Candy’s own creative techniques, Rescue is the “Noah’s Ark” of parenting books, ensuring that today’s teens will carry on a legacy of godliness to generations to come. Find out more!