Even when I fail....

Romans 3:10-24

" 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is none who understand, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness'.....Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law...This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

I needed to read that tonight.... I will probably need to read it again in the morning. And I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you, but I just felt led to do so.... You see today I had to apologize and with that came some reflection time for me to examine my own heart and my own mess. I needed to be reminded that we all fall short. No matter how hard we may try- we will fail to be perfect, daily. But I think we live in a world that tells us that perfection is attainable. That through self-help and self-improvement and self- esteem and self-motivation we can get pretty darn close to perfect. Perfect body, perfect family, perfect career, perfect children, perfect decisions, perfect balance, and perfect 'christian living'.... Some of those things the world puts on us, some of those things we put on oursleves and and some we even put on our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Well guess what? Life's a mess! We all have our messes and our baggage. But the good news is.... God takes you baggage and all, and he loves you just as much as the poor sap next to you with either twice as much or half as much mess as you. His love is not based on how good we are or how much we deserve it; and that has been a tough thing for me to truly grasp. Because I have always felt that I had to EARN someones love. That I had to be WORTHY of it... But I don't. And that's good news because I am so not worthy!!! I am such a work in progress that I've got road construction and detour signs all over my life!! :~) But he loves me where I'm at, I am washed in the blood, I am redeemed. Now don't think that means I'm slacking though! I'm still shooting for that A+... I'm still shooting for a chance to hear my Heavenly Father say to me "Well done, my good and faithful servant" But if not, if I never get it right, if I keep striving for it and never get there, at least I know I'm still his with a C+, still loved, still his.

I think that we have this image in our head, this stigma that 'good' people go to church on Sunday, good christian folks..... you know what I say? IT'S A TWELVE STEP PROGRAM FOR SINNERS!! Yep that's right, I just compared the house of God to an AA meeting- but it is... it is sinners that recognize their sin and need of a savior. And we need the support of others that are learning to live as recovering sinners. It's a process to live a different life, it's not always easy to stand alone in your trials and in your tribulations- so we have our meetings, we have our biblestudy meetings, prayer meetings, VBS, church camp, and all the rest of it to learn, to love, and to build each other up and encourage each other. It's got it's hypacrites, some liars, and some fakers, but it's where they belong!! Bring em on! Bring more!! Bring in some folks out of the bars and casinos, off the streets and out of their living rooms! We as a church need to remember that when Jesus walked this earth, it was with the trash that no one would associate with. The rebels, the outcasts, the prostitutes and murderers and unworthy. Because only sick people need a doctor, not well people. Those people needed his grace, needed his mercy- so much more than the people that thought they had it all figured out!!

So, I guess what I am saying is that I am glad that I am in a Sinner's Annonymous Sunday service!! I need to be there! I am a mess, I am a work in progress, I am being transformed by my God because I am God's Workmanship (Eph 2:10). And we are called to be like him, to love, to serve, to forgive and to obey.... never to be perfect. We don't have to earn it, we already have it! Isn't that awsome! Don't you just get fired up and excited about that? I do!! God is good!! Even when I suck, God is faithful and does not withold his love from me!! ( and by me... you know I also mean you :)

Have a great Monday!

Blessings,
Teresa