Redd's Disclaimer: You may get upset with my reply, but "take me as I am!" Don't hold it against me if my response is too hard to swallow!

Let's talk religion for a moment...

"Circumcised when I was eight days old, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew [and the son] of Hebrews; as to the observance of the Law I was of [the party of] the Pharisees; As to my zeal, I was a persecutor of the church, and by the Law's standard of righteousness (supposed justice, uprightness, and right standing with God) I was proven to be blameless and no fault was found with me. But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [one combined] loss for Christ's sake." The Apostle Paul's Letter to the Philippians chapter 3 verses 5-7 Amplified Version

Follow Paul's example! When he was converted from Judaism to Christianity, he used his past faults as part of his testimony. Before his conversion, Paul was a self-righteous, arrogant Pharisee who murdered Christians. He didn't attempt to hide that. He very boldly told his own story instead of waiting for someone else to expose it. How can people recognize and follow an example of genuine change if you attempt to act like you were born flawless? Nobody is perfect, my friend. So instead of being Pharisaic like the old Paul, be transparent like the new and improved Paul.

The nude pictures show who you were and what you were into at one point in your life. That can be a vehicle for you to reach people who may have dealt with or are currently dealing with the same issues you had. You CAN'T help anybody if you continue living by extremes and secrecy. When you were modeling, it was a secret. Now that you have a new life, it's still a secret; and now you want it erased from history. It's not that simple. You went from one end of an extreme spectrum to the opposite extreme end. Now, you need to learn BALANCE; realizing that when your past mistakes are exposed, they present an opportunity for you to show that you've been changed and you've grown.

"Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]." The Apostle James' Letter to the Jewish Christian Converts chapter 5 verse 16 Amplified Version

I understand your desire to be a minister [servant - for Christ, I'm assuming]. But there is no mention in the Bible of making an attempt to erase what you've done wrong, rather than face what you've done. Though there is forgiveness, there is still a consequence for every wrong (or sinful) action. You sealed your own consequential fate when you signed a release form; allowing that adult web site to have control over your image. If you are still ashamed, that means you haven't been healed yet. When you get to the point where you can talk about it openly and honestly, that's when you know you're genuinely been healed and restored (as James mentions). Do you want to be healed or do you want to spend the rest of your life trying to hide? Hiding isn't helping the people you are supposed to minister to! Hiding will ruin your credibility; not HONESTY! So, stop worrying about those pictures and the adult web site and focus on your destiny. Live your life and leave the past in the past until someone else brings it up again. But, next time use the exposure to glorify GOD (making HIM the focus for your change) rather than making yourself the focus and the victim. Think about it.

From my lips to your soul...

Redd

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