Got a Sticker?

Originally written on November 10, 2009

People who are not walking in the spiritual freedom Christ offers (Gal. 5:1) are battling inner turmoil and have no peace. They are plagued with fear, greed, guilt and the like. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

I have learned a few lessons from pets, and one relates directly to this situation—and our Savior’s desire for us to be set free. Princess is our little Miniature Dachshund. She loves to go sniffing around, checking everything out. Frequently, she’s gets a thorn—or, as we say here in Texas, “a sticker.” It is the saddest thing to see a little dog (who barely has legs anyway) pull one of them up so her belly drags the ground. She will run over to me for help. I always remove the stickers, but sometimes they break off and leave a tiny thorn in the pad of her paw. Princess will continue to hobble around until I say, “Let Papaw look.”

She gets up in my lap, lies on her back and puts her paws up in the air. I’ll turn on a light, put on my glasses and sometimes use a magnifying glass. Gripping a pair of tweezers, I will tell her, “Papaw will get it, but it may hurt when I pull it out.”  Once it’s out, she licks her paw for a minute, then she’s happy again. She races around in circles, expressing joy and relief.

I was reflecting on this process and realized some profound truths. When I can tell that Princess is in pain, I lovingly invite her into my lap to take care of it. Even with people, it takes a compassionate invitation to gain their trust in order to help them. I don’t think Princess would ever come to me if I shouted, “Stupid dog. Get out of the yard. Quit sniffing around. You’re going to get what you deserve. I told you not to go there!”

That would not make her want to get in my lap. In fact, she would probably run from me! But this is what many children hear from mom and dad. “Shame on you, stupid child!” This is also what we too often hear within the family of Christ. Believers can be harsh, judgmental and unforgiving. “I can’t believe you did that. Shame on you!”

Who would want to respond to that kind of invitation?

Jesus didn’t call us dogs, but he did say that we were like sheep, and sheep are not the smartest of animals! We are sheep with stickers, briars and thorns. Yet Jesus says to us, “Got a sticker? Got an issue? I’ll get it out. I’ll pour oil on the wound. Let me help.”

Paul wrote that “God’s kindness leads you toward repentance” (Romans 2:4). Would someone with a “sticker” come to you for help to get it out? What if that “sticker” is same-sex attraction, porn addiction, drug addiction or something equally devastating? Would you be a safe place for them to seek help? Would you welcome them into your arms and work with them to get rid of the pain, as well as the source of the pain?

We are all like sheep in that we have strayed from the shepherd’s care. There is no righteous person, not even among believers. There is only one who is perfect, and that’s God.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). This literally means being made whole. There is power in confession. We need each other to find healing. Keep in mind, we don’t confess our sins, “or stickers,” to feel better—but to be free from the source and be made whole.

“Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat… Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone” (Ps. 32:2-5, NLT).

Jesus died to redeem, to set us free. We should never feel shame over a battle. I believe we are not free from the battle, but free to fight the battle and win. Most everyone has some kind of thorn. It may be huge. Maybe you don’t want anybody to know. God wants to remove it, even though it may hurt for a short time. Repent while it is still a secret, and let the Lord begin the healing process. Then turn to those around you and invite them into arms of compassion to remove their thorns and stickers so that they can find healing, too.