I realized something awhile back and it's come up again... So I'm thinking I need to talk myself/whoever reads this through it.
I'm finding it interesting that when I profess to be a Christian some people then expect me to be perfect. I've heard all kinds of things that reflect this thinking. Examples? Um, yea, I have a few...
"Oh that's real Christian of you Stephanie!"
"What does God have to say about that?"
"Is that how Christian's speak?"
"This coming from someone that says they're a Christian?!"
"You're more than just a work in progress..."
I could go on. I have additional examples, but in starting to add them, I realize they could become a complete blog posting by themselves... I'll stick to the expectations of perfection for this post.
Anyway... The funny thing is... Becoming a Christian does not mean that I have become perfect. Hardly! It actually means almost the opposite. Becoming a Christian means (at least to me) that I realize I'm not perfect. It means I realize that I am a sinner. I was born a sinner. There is nothing I can do about that. It means that I know that I'm going to make mistakes, all day long, every day. But it also means that because I know that Jesus Christ died for those sins I can repent, ask for forgiveness, and move forward. I can resolve to do better. I can work harder on the things that really matter in life.
Being a Christian does not mean I'm "holier than thou". I am nothing better, nothing worse, than I was yesterday, or will be tomorrow. I am studying. I am trying to learn more. I am working hard at trying not to make the same obvious mistakes time and time again. But as I've said in the past, the more I learn the more I realize I have to learn. And God has patience with me...
Being a Christian does not mean that I was born and raised in the church. It does not mean that my past is mistake free. It does mean (for me) that I can leave my past mistakes in the past. I have been forgiven, absolved. God forgives and FORGETS! He doesn't want me rehashing things again and again. His Grace is enough. His Blood is enough.
Being a Christian does not mean that I place myself, or any other Christian that I know, on any plataeu higher than anyone else. We are all equal. All of us. Just because someone doesn't believe the way I do doesn't mean that God isn't working in them or through them. God is in everyone and is everywhere. Period.
We start every Sunday morning in our church with an admission of what we know is true. We are sinners. We deserve punishment. But because God is so merciful, so graceful, so everything that we are not... He gave us His Son... And the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross covers us in forgiveness. It's difficult to understand, unfathomable actually. But it IS. And it's wonderful...
Here is what I know to be fact. FACT. Since Miko and I started becoming intentional in our worship, things have gotten easier in our lives. The days that we pray together in the morning, before we start our day, run smoother than the days I don't drag my lazy butt out of bed. Sunday's are our best days. We get the most done, we spend the most time together as a family, and our family unit seems to function better. St. Paul's has been a blessing for us, all of us.
That doesn't just "happen"... Something greater, someONE greater has His hand on this. And because that is a FACT, I can rest easier at night. Because He has His hand on me, I don't think I'm perfect, I know I'm not. Heck, if I was perfect, what would I need Him for??? Come on people!!!
Blessings
221. Sunday School Christmas Program today
222. My beauties in their dresses
223. Shopping with a bestie yesterday
224. Time children-free
225. Friday night fellowship
226. A real babysitter
227. No tears when we left the girls with the sitter
228. Being a better mommy after a little time away
229. Hugs and kisses because I was missed
230. A busy week behind us
231. No early morning commitments for 2 weeks
232. Christmas Eve menu planning with my mom
233. Kate's Christmas party at preschool
234. All the cute decorations she made and brought home
235. The presents she made for us and gave me immediately
236. Shipments from my online shopping
237. Cost effective Christmas this year
238. Really realizing what Christmas is truly about... finally
239. Newly installed door knobs in the basement
240. Snoring Miko in the chair next to me
You know, I've come to realize that I honestly believe people make all those comments about Christianity and the failure to live up to it not at all as an attack at the person they are saying it to, but rather because somewhere along the way, that's what they've believed about Christianity and if you "someone whose already taken the bait hook, line and sinker" aren't able to be perfect... they surely won't be either.... so what better way to dismiss Christ in their own life than to point out that you still have flaws. Next time someone says something like that to you keep in mind, they just need Christianity to seem useless to have ammo to resist the Spirit calling them.
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