This Sunday I am supposed to share my life story in church. I'm a bit uneasy about this for two reasons:
- is my story worth hearing?
- what will people think about my "lesser" side?
Comparatively I've lived a homely life - no major drugs, jail, faith or health crises. Then again, I have done some (ok, several) things I am not proud of. There were moments I would have qualified for jail. I spent several years battling low self-esteem, ignoring God, hating, judging, drinking, hurting others and hurting myself. Yet here I am, a part of God's story serving as a pastor of worship. Amazingly, God does not expect us to be righteous before He loves us; He doesn't even expect us to be somewhat right before love. Still, I've heard people say "I'm not ready for church, I need to get my life in order first." Unfortunately, the church often affirms this message by expecting people to act a certain way, to dress a certain way, to put on their church-face for Sunday worship. In the process of sharing the Gospel, we end up telling people what they are doing wrong in their lives. We talk about others in the sense of their sins: "they're having an affair", "they're a homosexual", "she's been in jail", "he's a bit racist", and in the process commit our own sin of judgment. So here's the deal, "my salvation is none of your business"*. Rather than focus on sin, heaven & hell, we should focus on helping others experience salvation NOW through a strong relationship with Christ. Sin is not a list to be kept that defines who we are, it is steps taken away from God. God has already forgiven us so this is not a question of passage into heaven, that has been affirmed through our acceptance of Christ. Rather, by changing our lives now we can experience a relationship with God that lessens the pains of this life and previews heaven.
*p.s. - I suggest reading "A New Kind of Christian" by Brian McLaren. This amazing book helped me better understand some of these concepts, including "my salvation is none of your business" which is actually a chapter title.
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