Latest / Jo Watson: Unfiltered Faith / Is it me or is it them?
Transcript
- Jo Watson: Welcome back to Unfiltered Faith. I'm Joe Watson, and it's time to breathe. Time to slow down. Time to let your shoulders drop and time to step into the sanctuary. Not the sanctuary we're all so familiar with, but the one that God is building inside you. I'm so grateful you're here today. Whether you're listening on your morning drive, sitting in your quiet place. Or just trying to make it through another day. Thank you for being here. This is a space where we bring our hardest questions into the presence of God without filters, without pretending, without performance, just sanctuary, and just honesty. Today we're going to dig into a topic that bears a question that many of us have asked ourselves: is it me? Or is it them? To guide us into this conversation, I want to read a letter from one of our listeners, a letter that speaks to the quiet wrestling so many of us carry. Here is what our listener wrote. Dear Joe, what if I'm the problem? Sometimes it's easier to blame everyone else than to honestly examine ourselves. What if the patterns I keep experiencing are exposing something in me that God wants to change? Maybe the question isn't why do they keep hurting me? But Lord, what are you trying to show me about me? Self examination takes courage, but why is it easier to blame others? Signed Is it me or is it them? To the one who wrote this letter, your honesty is rare, your humility is holy, and your question is one of the most spiritual mature questions a believer can ask. Let me say this clearly self examination is not self condemnation, it is an invitation to transformation. And Scripture has Actually encourages this kind of reflection. Psalms one hundred thirty nine verse twenty three says, Search me, O God, and know my heart. See if there is any offensive way in me. And Lamentations, chapter three, verse forty says, Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. You ask the question. Why is it easier to blame others? Well, it's easier to blame others because blaming others protects us from discomfort. Blaming others shields us from responsibility, and blaming others keeps us from confronting the parts of ourselves that need healing. But here's the truth. Patterns are teachers. Repetition is is revelation, and cycles are invitations. When the same hurt keeps happening, when the same conflict keeps repeating, when the same type of relationship keeps breaking, sometimes God isn't pointing at them, he's gently pointing at you, not to shame you, but to grow you, not to expose you But to free you, not to condemn you, but to transform you into the version of yourself God always intended you to be. This is such a powerful topic. And family, this letter is not just for one person. It's for every listener who has ever said, Why does this keep happening to me? Or why do I attract the same kind of people or why do I keep ending up in the same emotional place? And sometimes the answer is external, but often, oftentimes the Holy Spirit is trying to do internal work on us. And scripture in Proverbs chapter four verse twenty three tells us why this matters. The passage says Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. You see, if everything flows from our heart, then healing, our healing, must begin there. That's why self examination is not weakness, it is spiritual strength, it is emotional maturity, and it is the birthplace of Of transformation. God never reveals what's wrong to embarrass you, God reveals it to heal you. I want to pray today that we would have the courage to look inward without fear. So let's take a moment right now to pray. Father in heaven, today we ask for courage. The courage to look inward without fear. The courage to let you examine the hidden places in us. And we ask for the courage to face the patterns we've ignored. Show us the parts of ourselves you want to transform. Heal the wounds that shape our reactions. Break the cycles that keep repeating themselves. And give us the grace to grow into the version of ourselves you design. Make our hearts teachable, make our spirits humble, and make our lives reflect your character. In Jesus' name. Amen. To someone today, God is about to reveal the root behind the pattern. God is about to show you the wound behind the reaction. And He is about to expose the lie behind the behavior. Not to shame you, but to free you. You are stepping into a season of clarity, a season of emotional maturity. A season where God will show you you. And you will not be afraid of what you see. Because what He reveals, He heals. And what He heals, He transforms. And what He transforms, He uses. You are becoming whole. You are becoming wise. You are becoming spiritually grounded. And this is the beginning of your growth. Thank you for joining me today on Unfiltered Faith. Remember this blame keeps you stuck. Self-examination sets you free. And the God who reveals your heart is the same God who restores it. These can be tough topics. So if you're carrying a weight that feels too heavy to hold, Please remember that this podcast is not a substitution for professional therapy or pastoral care. Reach out. Get the support you need. You deserve that kind of care. And if you would like to send in a question or share a story with Unfiltered Faith, you can reach us at Joe at Unfilteredfaithpod.com. We would love to hear from you. Your testimonies and your experiences matter. They help others grow. They encourage the weary hearts and they draw people closer to Jesus. Until next time, may your courage rise, may your heart stay open, and may your life become a sanctuary of transformation. We are family. This is unfiltered faith. God is moving, so stay ready and to God be the glory.