Embrace your flawed self

If you are here visiting from the "Yes to God" bible study, or if you haven't done so yet, I would love it if you could stop by HERE to say 'Hi' to my 100th post.

This is the eighth week of the online bible study, Yes to God; studying the book "Behind Those Eyes," by Lisa Whittle. If you are not yet doing the study, and want to join in, click here. Even so, if you have ever spent even a moment hiding your flaws...read on:

I will not forget the bumper sticker I saw that read,

"Christians: not perfect, just forgiven."

Yes, we live in a world where Christian's are expected to be perfect. Aaargh, the pressure. People even will say, 'I don't go to church because it is full of hypocrites.' (Ok, I could write an entire ranting post on this one, but get real, who have you met who ISN'T a hypocrite. And if you say yourself.... look up the word in the dictionary, and pull out pictures from your college days....)

We live in a world where everyone strives to BE perfect. AAAH, the PRESSURE! It is not a possible task.

We live in a world where those who are NOT perfect (um. everyone.) are gossiped about, ostricized, alienated, hung out to be 'crucified,' for falling short....

(BTW: We live in a world where He who was perfect was hung out to be crucified.)

OK. So, do you get the point?? We are NOT perfect, right? But yet, we somehow feel all this pressure that we are EXPECTED to be perfect. We actually have to live in this world that I was just talking about.

Well, diffuse the pressure! It is time to embrace your flawed self!

Why? Because:

1. It is only by understanding how flawed we are that we can truly begin to grasp the AMAZING love offered by God's free gift of grace and forgiveness.

This is the truly the heart of what Lisa's Chapter Nine was about: Early in this chapter, Lisa states, "...as people and as followers of Christ, [we] are completely flawed and yet forgiven completely." (It reminds me of that bumper sticker)...If you need help understanding how we can be so flawed, and yet so forgiven... if you need help believing this in your marrow, you will be so blessed by this chapter. Better yet, read the New Testament. Especially the parts about forgiveness..

2. Sharing your flaws, and how God has redeemed you in spite of them, points to the Glory of God and brings freedom to the captive in your soul.

I am thinking of a friend of mine. She is an alcoholic. She is sober. But she is not free. You see, she refuses to share her story. She tries to pretend that she never suffered. She tries to pretend that her past is buried. She tries to hide that she ever made a bad choice or a mistake or has a heart filled with shame. She is trying to bury it... not heal it.

But OH, God CAN heal it. He can redeem it. And, in the process, He can use her story to bring comfort, healing, peace, and hope to others!!! I still pray that she will cooperate with Him...

I have first hand knowledge of this redemption myself. The more that I share how flawed I truly am, the more I can rejoice in my own salvation! AND, I can witness God using my hurts to help a brother or sister in pain. The pain is worth it...

But I would not be able to say that if I were not willing to get REAL, share my flaws, share my mistakes, admit my sins - these are VERY unpretty sins I am talking about- and then point to the very Christ who has made me perfect in HIS sight. ("As far as the east is from the west..." -Psalm 103:12; thanks for the reminder, Lisa!).

So open up, friends. Share what He has done in your life. Tell your story. Cry with a brother or sister in pain. Let others know that you are also unperfect, just like the rest of us. Encourage with your Real-ness. Point to His redemptive abilities. Show off your wounds, and your scars, and then let someone know Who healed you.

Embrace your flawed self.

Jesus Christ has.