Remember that parable that Jesus told about how some people notice specks in other people's eyes, but not the log in their own? I think He was trying to make the point that we should worry about ourselves first, then help others find their way. Which is sometimes... most of the time...always, hard to do. We are so consumed about what "they" are doing, or how "the world" makes us look, to be concerned about our own lives.
Last night as I laid awake in bed,( I have a job interview in a few hours...more about that later!) I began to think about how the church is so up in arms about the repeal of DOMA and Prop 8 here in Cali. Before we moved out here a lot of people spoke horrible things about my new state, something I wish they would stop doing because of how "liberal" it seemed.
But last night as I thought of all the things that most mainstream Christians would say are going wrong with the world I was reminded of the horrible things that happen IN the church.
We have pastors who are adulterers, gamblers. Leaders who are addicted to porn, alcohol, and food. Yeah, I said food... :-0 Elders who have eating disorders and some who struggle with homosexual tendencies.
We are a congregation who for the most part, hides these sins until someone finds out the truth and then we have to come clean to our congregation, and sometimes to the world. But yet we blatantly talk about how horrible the homosexual community is. How they are ruining what we deem to be the right things in this world. How about we as a church community wake up and start living like we want 'the world' to live? How about we start being real? Telling the truth? What would happen then? If instead of pretending we are perfect, but still being plagued by all of our hidden sins we understood that the Grace of God, means the power to do things you thought you couldn't? What if we lived that way? Then would people feel more loved? More empowered to see God? More worthy of the love He has given them?
I'm not just talking to the choir here, I'm talking to myself and my husband and our friends. I'm talking about living in a way that makes people WANT to know what sets you apart. I believe that it's the "kindness of God that leads people to repentance". But we aren't being very kind when we pretend to have it all together, only to bring the hurting into our community and then finally tell them the truth about our "real" lives.
You can't really love some one if you're not truthful to them. Because that in itself isn't loving. Love is telling the truth. Love is Kindness. Kindness leads to Repentance and Repentance to the Understanding that God Loves you, because He loves you, because He loves you, and that the Grace of God helps you become exactly who HE wants you to be. Period.
This is the only way people want to be like us. Because the world has enough closet gamblers, porn addicts and eating disorders. What they need is a church who will be real, speak truth and admit when things aren't perfect.
Make an effort to get rid of your log, before you point out the speck in others.
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