May 9, 2012

wordy wednesday: entry #8



WE ARE NOT PERFECT

when i get on facebook and see posts bashing christians and christians swinging back at non-believers, it really disappoints me. here recently, some of my non-believing friends have been making posts about how hypocritical christians are. more specifically how the controversial death of Thomas Kinkade, the "painter of light", proves that he was a hypocrite and that this further proves their thinking that christians are hypocrites. but this only proves that christians are people too, and that we have problems just like everyone else. i am so sick of people thinking that we, christ followers, are never suppose to have problems. when i gave my life to Christ, i was never promised a tribulation free life & i was never promised a get out of jail free card. but i was promised a struggle with myself, my sin filled life, & with the world! going against the grain is not for the faint of heart! i struggle with temptation & sin just as much as Kinkade did, and guess what! we aren't perfect! i make mistakes every single day, but the last thing i was promised from God was a unfailing & unconditional love that allows Him to forgive me for what i have done.

i could use prayer. every single one of those posts that i see makes me want to spit out long ranting posts. satan knows where my weakness lies, and he stabs me there daily. if you struggle with this discouraging world too, you and i need to remember this:  



"Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear, and do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

- 1 Peter 3: 13-16

1 comment:

  1. You are so right, we've had so many conversations about this at work. It's really hard to explain things sometimes and I think that maybe makes it worse. I've tried to say at work that being a Christian is basically screaming from a rooftop "I sin and I will continually sin." The difference is that Christians accept the sin and know that they must be rescued from it. I think that the people that use the term "hypocrite" are actually confused about what "Christian" means and for some reason they have this idea that it means you never do anything wrong, you obey all the rules, do the right things, and you never mess up or experience trials and tribulations. But that is so far from the truth! The thing is that most Christians don't even claim that but for some reason the voice of those who do drowns us others out. It's really sad when this confusion happens and it breaks my heart. I love that verse and all the encouragement that it offers! Praying for you and everyone else that deals with this battle, from both sides!

    ReplyDelete