It was once said that 1% of people will read the Bible, the other 99% will read the Christian. I don't know about you, but that feels like a whole lot of pressure on us as representatives of Christ. I'll be honest with you, if you were to take a deep enough look into my life (and you wouldn't have to dive in too far), you would certainly find a whole list of things that would be able to contradict my claim to Christianity by choices I make and things I engage in or accept.
Truth be told: 99% of the time, if you're looking at my life to find Jesus, you simply won't find it. I'm not a great example of spirituality. I don't pray as often as I should or would like to. I don't carry my Bible with me everywhere I go. I don't exclude R rated movies from my choices of cinema viewing. I gossip, I lie, I covet. I want things that aren't mine and am discontent with the things that are. I judge people before giving them a chance, I engage in conversations that are far from uplifting, I laugh at jokes even if I don't think they're appropriate because more often than not, I'm more concerned with hurting someone's feelings than hurting the heart of God. I doubt God a lot of times. Even more times, I don't truly believe He loves me or even could. I allow sins into my life, knowing full well the hurt they cause, and I justify them. Why? Because I'm selfish to the core and utterly incapable of anything pure and perfect within myself. My music choices are shady. I like to debate just for the sake of giving the underdog the benefit of the doubt. I don't trust people. I'd rather buy new running shoes than put that money in the offering plate. Without beating myself up too much, let's just face it...that certainly doesn't sound like your best example of a Christian, huh?
Well, it's not. And I'm not even sure if I'm willing to apologize for that truth. You won't see a model of perfection when you look into my life, regardless of how much I try to show it to the outside world. But what you will see is a dirty, rotten scoundrel, a misfit and menace, a trouble-maker and rebellious self promoter who has found the beauty of the redeeming love of Christ on the cross. You will find a simple person, broken and bruised, who is desperately in need of a Savior. As I wrestle daily (even hourly) with believing that God could possibly love someone like me, there is always that tender voice of comfort in the depth of my heart. It reminds me that I am loved, just as I am, and nothing can separate me from that love...even if it's disbelief in that love. Romans 8 reminds me constantly that NOTHING can separate me from the love of Christ.
"Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?....NO! In all these things, we are made more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)
I don't know about you, but I think that's a pretty hefty list. No matter how much I doubt it, no matter how much I run from it or even taint it's truth to the unbelieving world looking at me for answers, NOTHING can change the fact that God loves each and every one of us. Not only is that encouraging, but to me, it's irresistible. How can you not fall in love with God, who promises to love you no matter what and that nothing will ever take that love away? Isn't that exactly the kind of earthly love we long for in our relationships with others? Isn't that exactly the void that faces our society?
Being a Christian certainly doesn't mean you have to be perfect. To me, it means opening yourself up to the possibility of unconditional Love and finding it to be the most satisfying thing in the world. Every day I fail, every day He picks me back up. That's the truth of my life as a Christian. It's really just that simple.
(The above picture is my all-time favorite picture, painted by Thomas Blackshear)
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