Last week at bible study we were all putting in our prayer requests. They were all valid, they were all important, but they were all very "help me with my job search, help me with my outreach project". All very well and good.
When it was one woman's turn, she paused. She opened her mouth to speak, and then she paused again.
Finally she asked for prayer for her anger towards a family member, because it was bad and she needed help. She asked for prayer for the way she spoke about her husband, because it wasn't terrible, but she tore him down and wanted to lift him up instead.
I thought that was so true, so brave, so transparent.
My prayer request has often been that I feel like I'm totally and completely falling apart and I just don't know what to do or how to take one more step in any direction, let alone the right one. But I was in the midst of prayers that while, true, while valid, were very clean and neatly packaged.
How encouraging that someone was brave enough to peel herself open and be vulnerable!
I told her as much last night, and it felt all awkward and weird. But I just so wanted to encourage her to keep being brave, because when she is brave, it can grab someone else by the heart and help them be brave too.
If we, as believers, do not make it less intimidating for people with messy lives and broken hearts to come into our lives then we will begin to paralyze ourselves and disable any relationship before it's even begun. People do not have to accept your systematic theology for you to love them! Just love them. Just be present for them, listen to them, speak truth into their lives in a way they can hear and receive. (Note: the way THEY can hear and receive)
Do not threaten them with hell. Don't lie about what you believe, but the first thing you say to someone that doesn't believe in God doesn't HAVE to be, nor should it really be that they are disgusting sinners that will burn in hell without Jesus.
Because I am a disgusting sinner. Without Jesus I would not go to Heaven.
Just because something is true doesn't mean it should be blurted out immediately with no qualifications.
It just seems to me that Christians proclaiming how right they are isn't alluring to many people. It seems to me that the most attractive thing should be Jesus, not me, not my opinion, not my sanctimonious bull. It should be, and ultimately is Jesus that will woo people into relationship with Him. It will not be the genuine sheep's leather bible and Calvinism vs. arminism vs. my denomination kicks your denominations ass argument that I slap them across the face with.
We are not all shiny happy people. We are a mess sometimes (I am a mess most of the time).
But all of that mess is cleaned by the blood of Jesus and the grace that flows freely. I am so humbled to be the smallest part of the biggest story that God is writing.
2 comments:
"It just seems to me that Christians proclaiming how right they are is alluring to many people. It seems to me that the most attractive thing should be Jesus, not me, not my opinion, not my sanctimonious bull."
It's something I battle with in my head from both sides of the fence, and I'm doing better with treating others this way, but not letting others treat me this way....I'm not sure that makes sense.
I guess we're all messes. :) I think that's o.k., it makes the world more interesting. lol.
I once shared a prayer request that reduced me to tears, and when I came back from the bathroom, someone else was in tears. I had made it "okay" to talk about the subject, and she was able to unload quite a lot. Which made me feel better about being a blubbering mess in public.
I love the way you point all of this out, and love the whole post. I wish more people read you and followed your advice. Hell, I wish I was better at following your example myself.
Rock on!
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