Hello,
everyone! It’s been a while since I blogged, but I feel compelled today to
address this convenient faith that social media makes so attractive. I don’t
profess to know what Jesus Christ is thinking, but I’m pretty sure He’s not
telling you to fake it until you make it. Being a follower of Christ is a
lifelong journey, not an immediate “arrival.” We develop, we grow, and we
change as we are molded daily into the image of Christ by the working of the
Holy Spirit. Stop pretending!
Blessing
and cursing are coming from the same person in the same day. One minute you are
more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ, and the next you don’t know how you’re
going to make it through a financial dry spell. Today, you’re a super saint
because God came through in a pinch, but tomorrow a co-worker is going to make
you lose your religion. We suffer through fifteen posts about your pastor’s
sermon this Sunday, but you’re mysteriously quiet next Sunday when you don’t go
to church at all. Are you feeling guilty that you didn’t go? Why do you think
so many people are falling away from the church? A lot has to do with us, the
so-called Christians.
We
have hindered many people collectively by the way we live, the words we use,
our attitudes and behaviors. We expect new converts to automatically achieve
perfection, when we are trying to hide our imperfections. We could reach people
on a much deeper level if we could be vulnerable enough to show them our true
selves. Yes, I’m human too, so we can do this together. If we could spend more
time being honest with people instead of putting on these shows for our social
media accounts, I think we’d find that people could actually relate to us. Some
of us are so deep that we’re drowning in our own self-righteousness … alone. We’ve
built our fortresses of lies and false pretense, and we’re dying on the inside.
Let
me encourage you. You don’t have to pretend to be something you aren’t yet. If
you are allowing the Holy Spirit to move in your life, I promise it will get
better. You will have more joy, peace and contentment. We are all being changed;
none of us is perfect. Feel comfortable being just who you are on the way to
who you’re becoming. Jesus loves you. You should love yourself. Loving yourself
doesn’t mean you don’t want to improve, but it should mean that you won’t deny
who you are. Admit that you’re a work in progress just like the rest of us. It’s
okay.
