I am guilty of only posting the pretty pictures. I don’t post the countless times I wad up a disfigured Jesus Chick or other images that don’t measure up. If someone takes a picture of my bad side, which can actually be any side that I don’t deem myself “pretty” I don’t post it and I’m quick to delete it off my phone before someone accidently on purpose stumbles across it. Are not our lives much the same way?
We let people see the “pretty” side of our selves. The one who is made up and picture perfect on Sunday morning, but what about the one that breaks down into tears on Monday because their world just ain’t right? Oh… that one.
No, nobody needs to see that, right?
Yesterday as I loaded yet another load of laundry for two obviously very dirty people into the dryer I felt a knot in my throat and tears well up in my soul. There was no reason. Other than I just felt overwhelmed.
I quickly sucked it up, started a new load of laundry and told myself, you don’t have time for that.
This morning as I loaded the dishwasher, for obviously very hungry people, the Spirit spoke to me and said, “just be real.”
I scroll through the countless images of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Listen to the ranting of crazy people and realize that there doesn’t seem to be a happy medium. There’s either the beautiful, seemingly perfect families or the nutcases.
I sing this song at the Long Term Care on Monday’s that the residents just love. I didn’t add it to my repertoire for a couple of years for fear it would offend. It’s called “Who do you think you’re foolin” by Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers. When I played the last note yesterday, the little old lady behind me yelled, “We need more like that!”
I realized then, and again this morning that people want the truth, not just the pretty images of Christianity. They need to hear that all of us have moments of sorrow, confusion and days that we too would be nutcases if we weren’t Spirit controlled preventing us from publishing that nutcase rant of reality.
Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Two quick points to ponder before you post today.
The Sprit of the Humble
I love humble people. People who don’t lift themselves above others but realize that we are at best sinners saved by grace. There is also a humility we all tend to ignore and avoid whenever possible, and that is the humility of allowing people to see the brokenness within us. That life hurts sometimes.
I’m always careful to buy waterproof mascara for fear of the black clown face that can occur when that spirit of humility takes over. I waterproof my social media post too. But what we miss when we do this the spirit of revival. God will revive the spirit of the humble… not the proud.
The Heart of the Contrite
To have a contrite spirit is to be crushed and broken. Hello? My thinking is the only people who want the world to see that is the nutcase “ranters” who make me shake my head.
My thinking is wrong.
There has to be a happy medium and I see it once in a while. When someone just gets real for the sake of encouraging others. In that process they do not drag someone else into their post, it’s about their relationship with God, not man. God uses broken vessels to let the water of life pour out for others to drink and have their souls revived as well.
After my open heart surgery my water intake was extremely limited. Prior to that I didn’t even like water, but suddenly I craved it, and still do. Their denial of that life giving substance, though it was for my own good, caused me to desire it more.
The more dry and broken we become the greater desire we have to be revived. But you can ignore it until it becomes the norm. Oh… how often I’ve seen that across the churches of America. They only want the pretty Sunday’s, not the ones where broken people get revived and give control to the Spirit of God. It is then that rantings are replaced with the testimonies of broken people being healed, tears flow and God is welcomed into that place and He shows up in a mighty way.
Do we want that?
I don’t want people to air dirty laundry on social media, but it would be good if people shared a trial and how God brought them through. We all have struggles. People need to see they can have victory too.
Share yours today!