This past year has been a lot, held a lot--a LOT--to process. I'm still working through some things. We're ALWAYS gonna be working through some things. It's never all going to be resolved, or perfect, or pain-free, or flawless, or how we thought. We're going to be hurt, and hurt again. Disappointed, and disappointed more. Gonna be powerless, going to be helpless, going to make some mistakes, going to mess up and be messed up.
There are a few things I feel strongly convicted to write about the past few weeks, and it's late and I'm cleaning up from being gone and doing laundry and ironing church dresses x4 and we're off to First Wesleyan Church in Bridgeton, NJ first thing tomorrow morning and evening (hope to see you!)
But let me just say.
We've gotta do better at being healthy people, church.
Are we hurting? Yep.
Have we and all others been let down, mistreated, abused, abandoned, stuck, and disappointed in this broken world? Yep.
We can be in pain and still be healthy people.
We can be treated badly and still respond with kindness and love.
We can be hurt, and we can be hurting, and we can still respond with healing.
We can be wronged and still act right.
We can live in this culture, in this time, and still be not of it.
I know we can, because Jesus asks us to, and He's never yet asked me to do something that HE's not capable of doing with me.
We can talk about the hurt and stew on the injustice and focus on the wrong in this world, in this time, in this day, in this place, in our lives and we can become hurting, resentful, fearful, worried, angry people.
Easily.
Or we can be TOTAL weirdos.
The weirdo that doesn't care what people think and say, but who speaks and lives by His Truth, with love. The weirdo who forgives again and again, seventy times seven, truly responding to hurt with genuine love. The weirdo who refuses to fear in a day and in situations where that seems utterly stupid.
Being healthy, whole people in Christ, for the cause of Christ, because of Christ...no matter what.
We've allowed too many excuses, friends, excuses neither Jesus nor the Bible allow us.
We've allowed ourselves to grudge because we have good righteous reasons.
We've allowed ourselves to fear because the day calls for fear.
We've allowed ourselves to be silent because nobody wants to hear.
We've allowed ourselves to carry wrongs and pains and burdens because we're sure they are ours to carry...or because we're not sure He'll do with them what we want Him to...or because we're not sure He can be trusted with them at all.
We've allowed the world's standards to shape ours more than we've allowed His to.
It's not about being perfect. It's not about not messing up.
But it is about actually doing what His Word says to do, actually FEELING the way His Word says to feel, actually living out the forgiveness, the freedom, and the grace that His Word keeps on offering.
I can dwell all my life on the hurts and frustrations and injustices and pains of this past year, and I can easily become another limp-along Christian who allows the pains to justify my sinful attitudes, responses and choices. Salt that's lost all it's flavor in a bitter world.
Or I can, in this very moment, actually do with His help what He's told us to do: Forgive. Do not worry. Do not fear. Be of good courage. Love unselfishly. Love sacrificially. Love by action. Give. Trust. Have faith. Lay down your life. Be kind. Love our enemies. Speak peace.
It is the unholy places in our lives we continue to make excuses for that are making us sick.
What the Lord asks for--and what the world needs--is healthy Christ-looking followers.
It is TIME.
Let's ask Him to show us where we're sick. Let's hold our sinful human hearts out there and make decisions for healing and healthiness, by HIS grace, by HIS work, by His love--that the world, and that stranger beside you, and that enemy behind you, and that loved one who is breaking your heart even now--might see healing, might experience grace, might be worked on too, that they might know His love. That we might be faithful.
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