Have you read “When Godly People Do Ungodly Things” by Beth Moore? 

Good, good stuff.

She talks about how to arm yourself against the enemy’s tricks and our own flesh.

She uses the name Had for those who have failed in either of the above. 

I like what she has to say to Hads everywhere…

“In case no one has said it to you yet, I sure am sorry you’ve been Had.  It’s horrible, isn’t it?  Devastating not to live up to your own expectation.  To become such a pauper to Grace.  I’ve been Had a time or two myself.  It’s been a while, but I remember well what it was like being him. 

God says He doesn’t want me to forget.  I asked Him why.  He said too many people have been Had out there.  All sorts of ways to be Had.  Good and Proud think there are just a few, but if they’re not careful, they may be Wrong.  And someday they may even be Had. 

But I don’t hope so. 

I don’t wish anyone to be Had. 

I used to wish I could be Good and Proud again, but I don’t anymore.  I don’t want to be Good, Proud or Had.  I just want to be Healed.

God says He will never let me be so Healed that I forget about Had.  There have been more Hads than Good and Proud may ever know.  Sometimes it takes a Has Been to know a Had.

One thing is for sure.  Had needs a lot of Help.  Healed’s nickname is Help.  He got the name because he is what he does.  He can’t stop.  Healed Hads Help.

God wanted to make sure I never act like I haven’t been Had.  So He left the scars.  He kept a set on His own hands and feet…

My scars bear the marks of death.  Don’t let anyone tell you that being Had won’t kill you.  It will.  It was meant to.  If it doesn’t, you’ve been Had for nothing and you’ll be Had again.

Christ raises the dead only after they die.  Before I was Had, God kept saying, “You are not yet Dead.”

So instead I was Had.

Christ let Lazarus lie dead for four days, but not because He was mean.

Scripture said He loved Lazarus even though He let the illness kill him.

Perhaps we all need to know how it feels to be dead for awhile. 

But do we believe we might see the glory of God?  That’s what Christ told Martha she would see.  When He raised Lazarus from the dead, Christ did not raise him sick.  He raised him Healed. 

I have a suspicion that Lazarus never got to kid himself into thinking he couldn’t get sick again.  He just asked for Grace never to become Had again. 

Come on, Had.  Let’s you and I go on a walk together.  It’s time for you to go home.  Maybe to a part of God’s home where you’ve never been.  I’ll walk with you.  You don’t have to hang your head with me.  Then again, you can if you want.  You can cry, get mad, throw rocks, and kick at the dirt.

Been there.  Just keep walking.”