The other day on twitter, Beth Moore tweeted something that really got me thinking. (What, you don’t follow me on twitter? Fix that now! @april_geremia )
Anyway, she said “We do disservice when we go to service acting like we’ve never rolled in the mud. Someone at the church needs to know we’ve been where they are.”
Can you say Amen?
Why We Need to be Real in Church
I think it’s safe to say that none of us entered this world wearing a halo and it’s a pretty good bet that most of us have had our muddy days. So, why in the world do we feel the need to act like we’re so saintly whenever we’re in church? My guess is that we’re afraid we’ll be judged if people knew we “had a past,” or are currently battling sin or some temptation in our lives. But would they? As Christians, aren’t we supposed to offer counseling, comfort and prayer to the hurting?
But it goes even deeper than that.
I want you to imagine something for a moment. What would it feel like if you were struggling with temptation or had a past you were ashamed of, and you went to church and sat among women who acted as if they'd never stepped outside of a pew? You try and talk to these women, but after a while you give up because they've clearly led pristine lives and you can’t imagine that they’ve ever experienced anything like what you’re dealing with. You end up leaving church hopeless, because after all, if people in church can’t understand the things you’re going through, who will?
Seriously, close your eyes for just a moment and imagine the pain someone like that would feel. When that happens, when someone walks away from the church not getting the answers or comfort they need because we feel like we have to present a perfect image to the world, we’ve failed. Epically.
And is that really the message we want to convey?
What Should We Do About it?
Now I’m not saying we need to air our dirty laundry in front of the congregation every Sunday or announce to every newcomer that we’ve also had muddy days, but what we do need to do is be real.
How can we do that? By being honest. Really, it’s not that difficult. I’ll start.
I’ve had my muddy days. Very muddy days.
Does that make me less of a Christian? Does Jesus love me any less because I’ve made mistakes in the past? Not according to his Word.
So, if we believe in grace and forgiveness, why don’t we stop pretending we don't? It will not only free us of the hypocrisy, but it will likely be a welcomed relief to the people around us who are just trying to keep up with our illusion of perfection.
And isn’t that exactly what the world needs right now? A little grace in the midst of all the chaos and turmoil?
What about you? Have you had some muddy days and are tired of pretending it never happened? Make a commitment to walk into church this Sunday with the mask off. Go in being real and just see if God doesn’t’ use it for His glory!
If you make this commitment, let me know in the comments or please sending me a message using the button below. I’d love to share your stories on a future blog, and promise to do it anonymously!
All His best for you and yours,
April
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