Imperfect

Newsflash:  Christians aren’t perfect.  Nobody is.

I was brought up in the Baptist church and was baptized at the age of 12.  I have been developing my relationship with God for years and I’m encouraged by the fact that I know He wants to be in relationship with me. God not only wants to be in relationship with me – He is actively pursuing me.

Christianity, for me, is more than just church attendance.  It is about love.  It is about compassion.  It is about obedience.  It is about faith.  It is not about being perfect.  People seem to have a tendency to believe that Christians should be held to a higher standard or that they should be up on some pedestal somewhere.  Let me share something with you:  I used to believe that too and as soon as that person did something to show me that they were human they fell from that pedestal so quickly that it made my head spin.  Christians are human beings and the only perfect human being was Jesus Christ. Christians aren’t perfect but we do have grace.  We make mistakes and we sin but thankfully we are covered by grace.  I am bothered by something one of my social media friends posted the other day:

 

It bothers me for several reasons:  (1) I hate stuff like this anyway.  There is enough negativity in the world.  Why spend time adding to it? (2) This was posted without having all the facts (3) Christians aren’t perfect.  (4) Pastor Osteen’s action or inaction in this situation doesn’t erase all the good work he and his church have done.

Since I have grown up in the church I have witnessed a lot of things.  Some good, some not-so-good.  I have been hurt by “church folk”.  Ministers have come at me like dudes at the club. Cliques abound.  But through all the shady, I remind myself that people are going to be people and I will not allow people to affect how I feel about Christians, Christianity or my relationship with God.  My faith is strong.  I know who I am and whose I am so when you ask me how I feel about Pastor Osteen now … I feel just fine.  I’m not here to judge, condemn or defend Pastor Osteen.  That’s not my job. 

And it’s not yours either.