what's wrong with this picture
Last night I lay awake after going to bed thinking of a conversation I had had with a friend earlier in the day. She told me about a conversation she had with someone while discussing the life of a family member and what that person said shocks me so much. This person of leadership in a church said to my friend "Well you know she (the family member being discussed) would never be able to go to our church because she has too much baggage and would never find a good guy that would be able to deal with it all, after all she has.................." (that may not be word for word, but it the basics, I left out some for privacy)
Where are we heading when a church can't except someone and their baggage?! Where are we heading when people are judged according to past mistakes and deemed unworthy of attending a certain church or unworthy of a good man/woman because we have done some things we aren't so proud of? It that's true than NONE of us are worthy. We have all done things that some could see deems us unworthy of love and acceptance. But, the beauty of it is that it is where we admit our unworthiness that God's salvation is realized in our life. It is only in our depraved lives that His grace can be given. It's not given to the perfect, to the non-sinner, the people without past, the people without mistakes......we wouldn't need Him. It makes me sad that a church/believer doesn't model our Christ. It's what we are called to do....dang it!
I have been attending on Friday nights a program called Celebrate Recovery and every one of those nights people in my group pour out their hurts, their habits and hangups. These are people who have suffered unimaginable things. People who are dealing with addictions or spouses with addictions and are there to find help, to find healing. It's true that sometimes I want to shut my ears to their pain, tune out their voices, avert my eyes from their "sins"......it's hard to hear, you don't know how to deal with what they are telling you. You realize some of their pain as your own pain and you want to run from it as fast as you can. But, instead I sit there, I listen, I learn and I take it with me when I leave. Those people need someone to listen, they need to vent, they need sympathy. What they don't need is someone telling them they don't belong, they have too much baggage, they need to just get over it or that people are burnt out on them.......
Would I, as a single woman ever think of marring someone that has some big mistakes in their past or isn't free of baggage..........YES! Because he will need to also accept mine. Besides who ever God has for me, regardless of their past or present is the very best person for me.
Model Christ in your life and church today. Embrace compassion.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick." But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matt. 9:11-13)
Where are we heading when a church can't except someone and their baggage?! Where are we heading when people are judged according to past mistakes and deemed unworthy of attending a certain church or unworthy of a good man/woman because we have done some things we aren't so proud of? It that's true than NONE of us are worthy. We have all done things that some could see deems us unworthy of love and acceptance. But, the beauty of it is that it is where we admit our unworthiness that God's salvation is realized in our life. It is only in our depraved lives that His grace can be given. It's not given to the perfect, to the non-sinner, the people without past, the people without mistakes......we wouldn't need Him. It makes me sad that a church/believer doesn't model our Christ. It's what we are called to do....dang it!
I have been attending on Friday nights a program called Celebrate Recovery and every one of those nights people in my group pour out their hurts, their habits and hangups. These are people who have suffered unimaginable things. People who are dealing with addictions or spouses with addictions and are there to find help, to find healing. It's true that sometimes I want to shut my ears to their pain, tune out their voices, avert my eyes from their "sins"......it's hard to hear, you don't know how to deal with what they are telling you. You realize some of their pain as your own pain and you want to run from it as fast as you can. But, instead I sit there, I listen, I learn and I take it with me when I leave. Those people need someone to listen, they need to vent, they need sympathy. What they don't need is someone telling them they don't belong, they have too much baggage, they need to just get over it or that people are burnt out on them.......
Would I, as a single woman ever think of marring someone that has some big mistakes in their past or isn't free of baggage..........YES! Because he will need to also accept mine. Besides who ever God has for me, regardless of their past or present is the very best person for me.
Model Christ in your life and church today. Embrace compassion.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?" But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick." But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matt. 9:11-13)
Labels: grace needed
posted by Sonya Terrell at
10:59 AM
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