No, Thank You. Keep Your Religion

The world does not want the faith many of us talk about. The people around us do not desire the so called relationship we claim to have with God. Nope. They do not envy our moments of worship or prayer. We have been observed and heard and we have been found lacking. Our family and friends do not wish to embrace our experience as believers. Honestly, I do not want it either.

Conversations take place and we wonder? Is the God we serve dead, unable to hear us, and uncaring. If I were to take on the side of those who do not want the Jesus so many of us preach, I would agree with them and hang my head in shame. It is not right but it is true. When I speak to a fellow believer their words are tangled with complaints and their eyes look upon me to see if I will engage in their negativity. No, my sister, I don't want what you have to offer today.

A brother, who spends almost every waking hour in the house of the Lord, shares with me.  Every other word is bleak, dark, and mixed with confusion. No, my brother, I do not want this faith you boast about. Some people say they don't go to church because the hypocrites are there. Sorry, the backstabbers, gossipers, that mean girl and the groups are everywhere. Yup, they exist in the workplace, in many family circles, and everywhere people gather. But, if we are the church, maybe, just maybe, the difference can begin with us. You see, I don't want to embrace that kind of lifestyle. It's not for me. 

The world is hungry for people who talk about Jesus but believe what they say and say what they believe with confidence. People around us want to hear that the words we share spark encouragement, that they are seasoned with genuine love, and that we are not afraid to say we are not perfect. My sister, my brother, I am not perfect. I fall short of grace daily and I am easily angered and bothered about many things. I do not talk about God as if He is only for the pulpit and church pew conversations, but to me, God is the reality of my heart, the reason the blood circulates throughout my body and why I exist. Ask my mom and she will agree I am a mess on most days, but when we come together, we have made a commitment to honor God, praise the Lord in our time together and uplift one another in the Lord.

When I share with people about God's love, I share because He has loved me. Me. A very imperfect woman with flaws and a million imperfections. Spend an hour with me and you'll write a book on all my shortcomings. But, I will do my best to live what I believe. I will try my hardest to show you that God loves you and He truly can make a difference in your life. It will be my mission to take your negative story and help you see God has not forsaken you and still on your side, cheering you on.

The world is not looking for perfect people, just perfectly messed up people who will hug them, understand them, and let them be as they are while they learn to put one foot in front of the other in this path called Grace. Our neighbors need to see someone who not only walks out of their home with a Bible under their arm on Sundays, but someone who has hidden God's powerful word in their hearts and is attempting to walk without messing up. And, that when we do, our eyes fall on God's promises because He alone is loving, faithful, and just.

This world needs to see that the God we talk about is real in our life. People around us need to see that we are more than the titles and the schedules we create to show our dedication to the Lord. Our faith is louder where it is not needed to be seen. I'll say it again. Our relationship with the Lord is the loudest and most obvious in those places and around those people where we don't think it needs to be seen or will be seen. We don't need to prove we are Christians in the church. It's in the eyes of the people around us that we need to be the church. If I am going to be real, I have to be completely real starting in my home, my workplace, and wherever I go, not just church.

Yes, I hear you. So many of us are completely dedicated and committed to the church. No, not me. I am committed and surrendered to the One who gave His Life for me, for the church. We are so quick to prove our walk with the Lord based on our ministries, our calendars filled with holy meetings, and sometimes people around us do not want to be near us. I challenge you to put aside your coldness and your indifference. Be on fire for the Lord. I challenge you to lay aside your negativity, your complaining and your inability to keep it real behind closed doors. If you and I are the light of this world, then Jesus must truly be bold and bright inside of us.

I don't want a faith that easily gives up and quits. I have come too far to not keep trusting the Almighty One. I don't want to be part of a group that looks more like a social club instead of a group of believers, healed and loving God and ready to give that love and share that healing with others. I don't want to be part of those who know a lot about the Bible but do not know the Power of God's Word. I do not want to be part of a body that walks like they're better than others, because my friend, we are all in the same world, on the same Earth and in the same boat. 

But, I fervently want to be part of that group of people that genuinely love the Lord and want to see others come to know God as their Father, the One who heals the broken hearts and still speaks peace into the storm of our life. With all my strength I shall easily get in line with those who are not afraid to admit they don't have it altogether, but that when we are together, trusting in God's grace and  His Word. I want to help others believe we are able to overcome, to be triumphant and make it.

I know that what I write is  not the norm of what I usually write. I guess I had one of those days where I got fed up of someone trying to say I was part of their "group", but my friend, I am not. I am part of the lost sheep, found, redeemed, and restored. You would find me in the pages of scripture with the outcast, the lepers, the forgotten women, and the Samaritans. I more easily blend in with the sinner, because I need to remind myself daily that I am still here and I must ready myself daily for the coming of the Lord. I need God's grace and His love daily. I need to try and be genuine every day. I need to be what people around me need me to be when I talk to them about Jesus because if I am fake and full of falsehood, that my friend, cannot be hidden.

So, I challenge you to decide what God you will share with the world. What Jesus do you invite into your home life? I challenge you to consider what example of God's love will our colleagues and neighbors see in us, and hear in us? I ask you to take a look inside of your heart and ask yourself if you would say, "Yes." to the Jesus you so easily portray daily?

The scriptures say that the world will know us because of our love for one another and some of us do not truly love our family, our friends, and those we come together to worship in church. If we are going to be the church, then let us be the church for real. Then, and only then, will I say, "Yes! That's the kind of Jesus I want! That's the relationship with God I long for! Yes! I believe! I believe!"

I would love to hear from you!