Sometimes the story doesn’t have a happy ending.
I sometimes think about how it’s easy to confuse following Jesus with the American dream. It goes something like this…if you work hard enough then God will bless you. It’s the idea that if I just do what I am supposed to do I will automatically get a blessing. While I do think that following God blesses your life I am reminded time and time again that sometimes following Jesus is messy.
Some may argue if the following actually love God, but I know Christ Followers who are addicted to pornography, smoke pot, think about suicide, cut themselves to feel better, gossip, lie, are divorced, on medication to help with anxiety, cuss, get drunk, and think that Moe’s is better than Chipotle. All of these things don’t fit into the pretty picture of the American dream or following Christ. They believe but they are still waiting for their blessing from God.
Sometimes Christianity is messy.
I know people who do their best to follow and love God and yet still suffer. Have you read about John the Baptist? When you start reading his story he has everything going for him. He’s related to Jesus, he’s passionate about God, and he is being used to change the world. You’d think he’d have a happy ending, but he didn’t. He was beheaded. Sometimes Christianity is messy.
Being a Christian won’t make you perfect and it won’t guarantee that you won’t struggle. Some Christians have a messy life because of the choices they make and some have a messy life because we live in a messy world. It almost feels like a darned if you do darned if you don’t.
I wish following God equaled a perfect life without struggle but if it does I haven’t found it yet.
What I have found is that Jesus breaks through my mess and heals me.What I have found is a God who is closer then a loved one during times of messiness. What I have found is that even though Christianity can be messy it’s worth it.
This sounds like it needs to be developed into a Sunday talk. There are some important points that need to be communicated. Thanks for sharing.
Great Blog Rob ! Always inspiring and thought provoking !
I does sound like a good sermon topic. Very thought provoking, for sure.
So true! The rain falls on the just and the unjust–so does the lightning and the hail. This life is where the rubber meets the road. We are surrounded by an intensity of spiritual warfare that can be cruel and messy, but this isn't the end of the story. Once in a while a little bit of heaven breaks through, and we catch a glimpse of heavenly light that strengthens us in the moment and reminds us of our future.
Okay – the last paragraph made me cry~
Well done.
Again.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!
Great, tough, and a "so true" message! It is amazing how many people think being a Christian equals a carefree, easy life. It is in our weakness that He is strong, and boy oh boy how I need His strength daily!
Such a great point and worthy of a sermon! Just today I got a flat tire and now have to buy 4 new tires…but rather than get upset I just thanked God I had a husband to help me, another car to borrow, and a $0 balance on our Firestone account to get the tires. So many people have it worse off than me, Christian or not. Messiness doesn't discriminate…Thank you for this reinforcement!
Great post… the last paragraph made me cry too.
Moe's better then chipotle…..?
LOL.
I am a big Chipotle fan. It was an attempt to be funny.
The myth of Christianity certainly seems to be shrouded in the promise of the American Dream, and when it falls short of that, a lot of people tend to give up and blame God. Well written. Life sucks, a lot, no matter if you believe in Jesus or hugging trees. The benefit is the hope we have in God's restorative power.