We just published a new audio podcast of Alan and his talk “Hope For Those Who Struggle.”
Leaving homosexuality is a difficult process and some would say is impossible. Yet, tens of thousands of people have successfully done just that. If you are searching for real hope and answers, listen to this podcast teaching on Hope for Those who Struggle from Alan Chambers. Mr. Chambers taught this session at the 2009 Exodus International Freedom Conference. He has shared his personal journey in discovering healing and wholeness to thousands around the globe. Not only is this a part of his personal testimony, Mr. Chambers has walked alongside several guys, helping them too find the freedom from this unwanted struggle in their own lives. In this session, Alan shares a realistic strategy for people struggling with same sex attractions who desire to live a life free to pursue purity, righteousness and holiness. To purchase a copy of this teaching, please visit the Exodus Bookstore. If you’re interested in learning more about how to partner with and support the ministry of Exodus, please click here.
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It’s great that Alan has clarified some things, and good to hear him talk about his own journey.
I don’t like the word ‘struggle’. I’ve always liked the way I am. Recently, a friend who hasn’t been in touch for about 2 years has got in touch to say she is in a relationship with a woman. In the next couple of emails, she spoke of her celibate years, and how she didn’t like them. She didn’t like having a ‘struggle’ and a ‘burden’ of having same sex attraction. It made her unhappy.
Life should not go on feelings, cos feelings change like the wind and can lie to us.
But I totally understand. If my attractions were ever a burden or a struggle, that would be awful. The burden of wondering why men weren’t attracted to me, unless there was something wrong emotionally and spiritually with them, wondering when I was going to get married, it was a burden and a struggle. Then I realised marriage wasn’t going to happen, and I became happy, and no longer have a struggle or burden. I am not aiming for the life a lot of people have. I am aiming for community living that glorifies God. That is what is the path for me.
For some reason, God has allowed me to have same sex attraction. He could have stopped it from happening, but for some reason, He didn’t. For some reason, same sex attraction was something He allowed to shape my life and my way of understanding other people and their stuff, and how I can speak with people about God.
It’s like my mental health condition. Sure, I can have bad times. But I can also have very good, amazing times, thanks to having a condition. When I have a heightened sense of beauty of everything I can see, of Creation, those are amazing times. When I’m dancing around, so happy about how my day has been, celebrating life in a more vibrant way than I normally would… Why would I want that to be taken away?
And the cause of my condition has helped shape my life and opens my mind to the lives of people around the world and praying for the persecuted church. Last year, I created a good piece of artwork, based around my mental condition and some of the things related to the cause or how I express things etc. It used a collection of photos I’d taken throughout the year, and again, it was a celebration of life, and based on my faith.
Yet people would say having a mental health condition is 100% a bad thing. Sure, having a hallucination of a giant fish chasing me isn’t good. But then, dancing in a tent, with a couple of hundred people with the same condition for the same reasons as me as a folk group sing Bare Necessities, or when the festival organiser who has the same condition stops singing, waves in some new festival attendees and everyone at the front makes room for these news guys to come in, or being in a church where 100 people have the same condition and we had our own church service every Saturday night, and the power in that service…
God allows things to happen, for whatever reason He has, and it’s how we act that is important. Bible living, celibacy, taking medication, modifying behaviour are all good things. I’m not taking anything away from that.
But the beauty in the times I’ve had, praying when I’ve wanted to ditch celibacy for a few hours or days, the beauty in relating to God in that way, the connection with God that I can’t have with other people in friendship talking about how I am… It’s beautiful and precious.
Hope that doesn’t confuse anyone. Obedience to God; good! Sin; bad! Glass half full
It’s great that Alan has clarified some things, and good to hear him talk about his own journey.
I don’t like the word ‘struggle’. I’ve always liked the way I am. Recently, a friend who hasn’t been in touch for about 2 years has got in touch to say she is in a relationship with a woman. In the next couple of emails, she spoke of her celibate years, and how she didn’t like them. She didn’t like having a ‘struggle’ and a ‘burden’ of having same sex attraction. It made her unhappy.
Life should not go on feelings, cos feelings change like the wind and can lie to us.
But I totally understand. If my attractions were ever a burden or a struggle, that would be awful. The burden of wondering why men weren’t attracted to me, unless there was something wrong emotionally and spiritually with them, wondering when I was going to get married, it was a burden and a struggle. Then I realised marriage wasn’t going to happen, and I became happy, and no longer have a struggle or burden. I am not aiming for the life a lot of people have. I am aiming for community living that glorifies God. That is what is the path for me.
For some reason, God has allowed me to have same sex attraction. He could have stopped it from happening, but for some reason, He didn’t. For some reason, same sex attraction was something He allowed to shape my life and my way of understanding other people and their stuff, and how I can speak with people about God.
It’s like my mental health condition. Sure, I can have bad times. But I can also have very good, amazing times, thanks to having a condition. When I have a heightened sense of beauty of everything I can see, of Creation, those are amazing times. When I’m dancing around, so happy about how my day has been, celebrating life in a more vibrant way than I normally would… Why would I want that to be taken away?
And the cause of my condition has helped shape my life and opens my mind to the lives of people around the world and praying for the persecuted church. Last year, I created a good piece of artwork, based around my mental condition and some of the things related to the cause or how I express things etc. It used a collection of photos I’d taken throughout the year, and again, it was a celebration of life, and based on my faith.
Yet people would say having a mental health condition is 100% a bad thing. Sure, having a hallucination of a giant fish chasing me isn’t good. But then, dancing in a tent, with a couple of hundred people with the same condition for the same reasons as me as a folk group sing Bare Necessities, or when the festival organiser who has the same condition stops singing, waves in some new festival attendees and everyone at the front makes room for these news guys to come in, or being in a church where 100 people have the same condition and we had our own church service every Saturday night, and the power in that service…
God allows things to happen, for whatever reason He has, and it’s how we act that is important. Bible living, celibacy, taking medication, modifying behaviour are all good things. I’m not taking anything away from that.
But the beauty in the times I’ve had, praying when I’ve wanted to ditch celibacy for a few hours or days, the beauty in relating to God in that way, the connection with God that I can’t have with other people in friendship talking about how I am… It’s beautiful and precious.
Hope that doesn’t confuse anyone. Obedience to God; good! Sin; bad! Glass half full