The One Thing We All Have in Common

I never have a chance to blog anymore, and it makes me sad sometimes. But then I remember why I don't, and then I'm not so sad. It usually has to do with a little someone who takes up all of my time. :) I have a really good excuse as to why I never get on here! I'd rather close the computer and hang out with him!

Anyway, lately I've been trying to avoid the internet, particularly FB, as much as I can. It just seems to leave a bad taste in my mouth most of the time. Plus I'm on an anti-drama crusade, in my own life and the lives of others. I don't know what it is, but everything I read seems to be one person justifying their beliefs, their views, their opinions, their lifestyle, their habits, their choices, against everyone else's. I know because I do it. It's like a poison...you allow a little bit of something to get under your skin, and soon you're acting like everyone else. I want to be different!

Our lens is skewed because we only see people the way they portray themselves online. Chances are, some of you who know me in real life like me a lot more in person than you do online. Chances are, some of you who have never met me in real life, wouldn't like me half as much as you do online. I try to be me, but often no matter what I say, I rub someone the wrong way without me even trying. It is frustrating.


One thing that really bothers me is how many blog posts and articles I read about one particular type of Christian knocking down other particular types of Christians. Now, I agree that not everyone who says they are a Christian really is one, but who the heck are we to judge? Especially if we've never spent one waking moment in the presence of that person...we have no idea what their day-to-day life looks like.

The other day I was thinking about this, and thinking about how the Bible says we are to be peace-makers (see the Beatitudes, book of Matthew). Not just peace-lovers or peace-likers, but peace-makers. That is hard to do most of the time, given the culture we live in. Everybody has something against everybody.

And I was thinking about what we all have in common as Christians. 

The one thing we all have in common? We need Jesus. Desperately. We are a messed-up, broken, judgemental, selfish, sinning (whether we pretend we are perfectly good or not) group of people . Every single one of us. 

The Bible says that if we claim not to sin, we are liars. No, that doesn't mean before we become Christians. It means even now. Anyone who acts better than anyone, who claims to not fall short or looks down on others, is a LIAR. Ouch.

We need Christ every single day. We need His love, His truth, His grace, His mercy, His light, to penetrate our hearts and our minds every minute, every hour. 

I'll tell you, I have met some pretty puffed-up Christians, and I used to be one of them. I was real good at making people think I loved Jesus, which was true. I did love Jesus. Then I had my son and went through a very, very difficult time. I almost decided to give up my faith. I cannot blame it on someone else, either. It was me, despite the no-good, horrible things some Christians said about me or to me. The truth was, I, me, myself was the problem. I didn't want to admit that. I wanted to throw the blame on everyone else who had "wronged" me. But my own sin, my own depression, my own anger, bitterness, cynicism, etc, were what had brought me so far from God. 

It took me realizing my own brokenness, my own lack of perfection, to really bring me to my knees and make me get real with Jesus. I was so, so sick of trying to convince the world and convince God that I was fine. 

It wasn't until I realized the weight of my own sin, my own desperate need for Christ, that I stopped trying to justify myself in front of everyone else. And that was when my heart was made whole, and my faith became more than just a nice feeling or sentiment for God.

I think that this, more than anything, is what all of us Christians need. To stop pretending. To stop faking it. To stop trying to look like the "best" Christian out there. To stop writing blogs about how great we are, while trying to proclaim how great God is and using our own "awesomeness" to show people why He's great, and why we're right and everyone else is wrong. I'm a seminary graduate, with a Masters in Christian Discipleship/Education, and I still don't have all the answers!

Every single day, we fail. We struggle. We give in to temptation that we pretend we didn't. We watch crap on t.v. we shouldn't watch. We say things we shouldn't say. And if we go around acting like we haven't done anything wrong, we're lying! 

The one thing we all have in common is that we NEED Jesus. Not just a one-time, "I got saved" type of faith. But the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives at every waking moment. That is what we need. 

I pray for each person who reads this, that you would get real with God. No more sweet-talking. No more "winning" the comment battle on FB. No more "look at me, I've got it together and you don't" stuff. Just go to Jesus. Run to Him, get on your knees, and get it out. Let Him transform you into who He wants you to be, not the person you are trying to portray to the rest of the world. The best news is, that is all He wants. He just wants your heart, and He will love you without holding back.

God bless you.