I recently had a conversation with a friend, and it came up that someone she knows can’t get behind being a Christian because Christians are hypocrites. My response, as a Christian was, “they’re right!” Unfortunately, it’s true time and again.
See, often we get it wrong. We serve a perfect savior, a loving god, one that lived without sin. He came here, in his perfection, to save us from all of our yuck. In Him, we are made new. We are to take on his qualities. This is where we sometimes get hung up. We forget that we are still broken, flawed humans, saved by perfection. We, ourselves, do not become perfection. We are still a hot mess. We’re just a hot mess that recognizes we can’t make anything of our mess on our own, and we know someone that wants to help us make something beautiful of that mess.
On the outside looking in, I totally get it. There are so many of us parading around like our lives are perfect, like we have it all together. As if, by discovering salvation, all of our troubles are gone. It can easily come off as superiority, and, let’s face it, sometimes that’s exactly what it is. It’s all zip-a-dee-doo-dah, mine doesn’t stink. But, (lean in, I have a secret for you)– We’re ALL a mess. Every single one of us! The nature of humanity is that we’re flawed. We are broken and hurt. Period.
Here’s the part that some miss though. The part that parading, peacocking Christians can often block people from seeing. There is an amazing love, an endless, perfect, healing love that is available for claiming. A love that calls. A love that sees all of your cracks, all of your lies, all of your hurt, all of your darkest places and still wants you. To pick you up, wipe off the dirt and dust and shame and allow you to begin again. Begin as something new. Still not perfect, but perfectly loved.
THAT is the great joy of Christianity!! There is the prize.
As a Christian, I don’t do anyone a service if I walk around pretending that I have it figured out. It’s like dropping a lit candle inside a closed pot. The light can’t be seen. But, if I let my cracks show, if I’m not afraid to admit there are areas of my life where I am broken, and if I’ll let God’s light inside of me- His light shines through! It can illuminate the way for others. He can use it to draw people like my friend’s friend to Him.
As a Christian I am still going to fail. I’m still going to get it wrong and hurt people. Christianity does not make me perfect. It gives me an example of how I want to live. and when I fall short, it teaches me to ask forgiveness. When I fail to do that, I can easily leave people feeling like my friend’s friend. Why would they want any part of the hypocrisy?
Romans 12:3 reminds me not to think more highly of myself than I ought. That keeps me from passing off the works of the Lord, His qualities that I try to take on, as my own. Alone my life is but dust and ash. But in the hands of Christ, he can make beauty of my ashes.
Draw close to Him; see what He will make of your life if you just let him!!
human interruptions 