Hard on Us

(Note...this one is going to get me in BIG trouble...hehe.)

Hmm...I've noticed that I tend to be hardest on a particular group of people. A place of apparent critique. I literally want to designate a spot on a wall to bang my head in frustration sometimes.

It's a "love/hate" thing really...because they are some my own "kind"...the "Jesus" people. ;)

I can't stand the small stories. Here we are invited into the grandest, eternal story EVER written (and being written), but we often choose a self-focused story that turns our own front yards into the "whole world". Destiny fueled by the deepest and richest identity could be the reality we know and release, but we choose boring copies of less-than-ideal lives of the people next door.

Some create little boxes and systems for God and faith...all so we can feel safe and secure in a risky world. We spread that "gospel" which seems to offer fear (or denial) more than hope. We embrace lifeless legalism and intend to force the world into a mold so we can feel better about our own prideful existence.

On the other extreme, we choose a lifeless lack of discipline and call it "true grace and freedom". We do whatever we want, not acknowledging that the good Father actually calls us to a Him-fed holiness. Any challenge or accountability is an "abuse of authority". "I'm going to get drunk, get it on with whoever, leech the world of whatever I want...but, hey, I'm a Christian and we know the 'truth'!" Umm...

We love our Golden Rule to "Love our neighbors as ourselves"...and we love to criticize others for how absent of love they are...but we build complexes to ourselves instead of feeding starving children, saving people from slavery, taking care of nature, helping the poor and homeless...making the difference we could as people who love the compassionate Jesus.

And we are the people that say that we have a relationship with the Divine Love!

Sigh, sigh, sigh...do we even understand how hypocritical we are??? A world that's watching sees it clearly...

Deep breaths.

But, I guess it's true that humanity is humanity. All of us, regardless of creed, can live less-than-human lives. And for whatever reason...regardless of our "Ick"...we still are the desires of God's heart. He takes us as we are and helps us "become". That's a messy journey...so why would I expect anything different than a messy faith and messy people? He is gracious with us, so maybe I should be a bit more kind as well...

Patience, Sarah, Patience...because truly, I'm in this boat too. And how could I not? My acceptance of Jesus' love didn't result in instant perfection...but I have to say...it did result in instant, transforming relationship. The POTENTIAL is there for all of us...if we choose it! Stepping into true love IS a release into life-changing, box-exploding, eternal reality...if we choose it!! A core identity that expresses destiny...

Oh how I wish we would embrace it more deeply and consistently...because maybe, just maybe...the ones who say they love Jesus could really live loving lives in the wide-open spaces with Jesus every day.

I'd like the "watching" to see that...