The "Perfect" Family

 

FAMILY PHOTO TAKEN IN 2012

One of my precious family members recently described my family, on a social media site, as being “the perfect Christian family”. She meant well, and I felt her love over the miles, but my heart and mind cringed. Oh Lord, we are not the perfect little Christian family.  It’s so easy on social media and in public outings for us to form opinions and give off the opinion that some person or family has it all together.  And in my case I never intended to send the message that we are perfect. If you hang around me or my family, it will not take you long to see our many faults and failures.  We struggle. We are sinners. We are in need of a Savior.

Do you know why I started this blog? I believe God gives us talents, strengths, and abilities and I want to use them for his glory.  I love to encourage and I love to write and so in obedience to God I am trying to use my gifts. But did you also know I struggle with consistency in my daily quiet time. I struggle being consistent in the word and prayer time. I also struggle with insecurities.  On my own strength I would rather NOT put myself “out there” for all the world to read/judge/critique, but on Christ’s strength, I press on. I already am “alienated to the world” in some instances just being 1) a believer and 2) a minister’s wife and 3) an emotional, hormonal woman with a slew of faults; the thought of starting a blog to offer encouragement can send my mind down into a pit of insecurities of how I might be pushing myself in to an even smaller circle of people willing to let me in.  You see a friend of mine said, “perfection can make you unapproachable” and that is not ever who I want to appear or pretend to be.

In my life I have made some big mistakes. I don’t publicly share them all because I have not felt the Holy Spirit lead me to do that.  I can share with you lessons I have learned and what God has taught me, but please know it comes from a sinner saved by grace. I am the least of these. I am trash turned to treasure by the blood of Jesus Christ. You think I can’t handle your drinking problem, pride problem, gender identity issue, debt issue, depression struggle, marriage problem, addiction, affair—think again. I believe because of the life I have lived God has given me the ability to offer grace. When you share a problem, I don’t condemn or judge, I see you and I see your heart and I see someone who is struggling like me.  I want to be your friend. I don’t claim to be someone I am not. I am just one child of God, walking in the flesh, fighting to walk in obedience daily, like you. 

I am real. I am not perfect. But guess what. My heavenly Father sent me and you a Savior, Jesus Christ, who is perfect to live inside us and give us all we need to live for him.

May we never steal your glory by sending the message that “we” are doing something right or good. It’s all you Lord…all YOU. Thank you for picking up a lumpy piece of clay and re-working it into a beautiful instrument for your glory and honor.