In a world where it is so easy to create an unrealistic, picture perfect image of yourself – especially online – it can be tempting to apply that to our Christian walk as well.
We like the pretty, shiny side of Christianity. We like that we are washed clean. We like the postable moments that come from the church festivals and Easter Sundays. We like the parts of scripture that say we are His chosen people and we can ask for our hearts desires. We like things like #blessed and telling people we will pray for them.
It is a little harder though to be honest with someone when we’re struggling. It isn’t fun when our family is a hot mess. It is inconvenient when the enemy throws our past back in our faces and we have to work through some heart issues. We pull away when things look less like #blessed and more like #nightmare.
But why? Why are we so quick say we’re always willing to someone, but we get uncomfortable when someone actually opens up and shares their prayer requests.? Why do we struggle to get our family out the door and to church on time, turning ourselves into a sweaty stressed out mess only to walk in with a fake smile on our faces?
One thing I found in my own life is that when I’m being more and more fake with others, I’m usually trying to be fake in my walk with God too. There have been times in my life where I like to post bible verses to my Insta Story and maybe even add a pic of my open Bible next to my coffee cup, but I’m too busy to actually read it. I like to add comments like “God’s got it” or – even better – “look at the positive” when someone shares something personal, but I don’t take the time to truly invest in their lives to see how I can really come along side of them.
If you look in scripture though, Jesus wasn’t anything like that. He was willing to meet people where they were. He didn’t sit in the temple, shrouded in gold and fine robes and said, “let the poor peasant sinners come to me!” Instead, he walked in the undesirable places and met the undesirable people face to face. He loved them. He took the time to know what they truly needed and came along side of them. How was He able to do this? He was in a real and meaningful relationship with God.
Jesus once said, “I can do nothing on my own. I can only do what I see my Father doing.” What is God doing? God is meeting us in our dark places. God is holding us accountable. God is loving even when it is hard. God is patient when we don’t just “snap out of it.” God is willing to walk through the crap with us instead of just making it all magically better because “God’s got it.”
A true and meaningful relationship with God isn’t a cliché. And since He called us to love others and serve Him here on earth, our lives can’t be fake either.
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