You are not perfect. I am not perfect. We are all flawed.
There seems to be a stigma amongst Christians that we must portray a perfect, Christ-following life for others to see. We post pictures on social media showing off our happy-go-lucky lives, filled with adventure and merriment. We walk around day by day faking a smile so people will think we don't face daily trials. We dress nicely and act a certain way because of this invisible standard Christians hold themselves to.
But I want to challenge you to be authentic.
There seems to be a stigma amongst Christians that we must portray a perfect, Christ-following life for others to see. We post pictures on social media showing off our happy-go-lucky lives, filled with adventure and merriment. We walk around day by day faking a smile so people will think we don't face daily trials. We dress nicely and act a certain way because of this invisible standard Christians hold themselves to.
But I want to challenge you to be authentic.
We are all flawed, and guess what? That's okay! It's okay to have bad days. It's okay to feel sad. It's okay to feel a little weary. It's okay to show your emotions beneath the surface level. It's ok to be a human being! I recently came across a saying that reads, "I am an imperfect person, loved by a perfect God."
After reading that, I thought "wow there must be so many people out there that can benefit from such a simple saying."
Everyone struggles. No one expects you or me to be happy all the time. The thought of being judged and shamed by fellow brothers and sisters in Christ because we've shown human emotion shouldn't even be feared. Judging another isn't anyone's job but God's. We as believers must be able to earnestly listen and guide broken people towards God's word -- we're not called to shame people for being human and dealing with struggles that come with this life.
In order to be authentic and true to who God has called us to be, I think it's important to throw away the idea of believing you're better than another person. God says, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another." Colossians 3:12-13
After reading that, I thought "wow there must be so many people out there that can benefit from such a simple saying."
Everyone struggles. No one expects you or me to be happy all the time. The thought of being judged and shamed by fellow brothers and sisters in Christ because we've shown human emotion shouldn't even be feared. Judging another isn't anyone's job but God's. We as believers must be able to earnestly listen and guide broken people towards God's word -- we're not called to shame people for being human and dealing with struggles that come with this life.
In order to be authentic and true to who God has called us to be, I think it's important to throw away the idea of believing you're better than another person. God says, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another." Colossians 3:12-13