Last week, I nervously posted about what I’d learned leading up to the day I found out I’d won a writing contest. Yup, I was nervous. In the entry, I admitted to struggling with some niggling doubts regarding how much God cares for me and how much he does or does not want to answer my prayers.
It’s not easy to fess up to having doubts, insecurities, or weaknesses, is it? Especially when those doubts assail us though we know the “right” answer but don’t feel it or haven’t seen it overtly change our lives in a while.
But, God had been gracious to me in my struggle. He walked me through his truth again in a way that struck such a chord in my life, I had to share it despite my fears.
As I’m typing this, that post has received three times the number of hits that my normal posts receive. My blog’s pretty small, so maybe the numbers behind that wouldn’t impress many people, but they’re enough to grab my attention. The post clearly resonated with more people than normal, and based on the comments I’ve received, I think it’s because I was honest and extra-vulnerable when I wrote it.
This has reminded me of yet another one of those lessons that I might know in theory, but that I need to remember to put into practice: Christianity is not about being perfect.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
Consider:
- For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10, NET
- Jesus answered them, “Those who are well don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32 NET
- But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NET
- So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. James 5:16, NET
Christians are Christians because we know we are not and could never be perfect. We’re trusting Jesus to save us from ourselves, and even though we’re striving to become more and more like him, no matter how long we’ve been believers, we still have struggles.
And we’re not doing anyone, least of all ourselves, any favors by pretending otherwise.
Instead, when we share our struggles and how God has worked in our lives to correct them, we help each other. After all, no trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others (1 Corinthians 10:13, NET), and if others are going to face the same trial, why not offer them some of the hope you found in that same situation?
Tomorrow is Christmas, when we celebrate what God did 2000 years ago by sending Jesus to save us, but don’t forget to also celebrate the work he’s still doing in your life today. See if sharing your story doesn’t help someone else.
I’m betting it will.
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