thoughts....

dear all,

This is not a short post, but i hope you'll have the patience to take some time to read. It's something on my heart i'd like to share. For the past month or so, some people have shared with me, and i sense that sometimes we try to 'hide' our weaknesses, failings and sins from one another, because we feel that as christians, we should all appear to be 'good' and 'holy'... It seems like we all like to compare ourselves with one another, even amongst christians, we compare who is more 'spiritual' than the other, and we feel inferior and guilty if we fall short of that 'standard'. Guess that's why perhaps we distant ourselves from God, and avoid other seemingly more spiritual christians.
It saddens me when people feel that way. Cos i felt exactly that same way before too. In fact, i still do sometimes. But over the years, God has changed my perspective of things. Yes, there are people amongst and around us who are more godly and spiritual than we seem to be, i think i've got a whole looonnngg list ahead of me if you wish to 'rank' it this way. But i believe we are all equal in a sense, that godly or not, we were all sinners saved through faith by God's grace. We must remember God came to seek and save sinners and not the righteous.
I believe we cannot and should not compare spiritualities.

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:1-4

Nevertheless, i believe we should and can all work to godliness, to being transformed into Christ's image. We may feel like the worst christian on earth, a hypocrite, a pharisee, etc. but Jesus did not come to condemn us! We may not be the person He wants us to be, but as we remain in Him and grow in our faith, and as we allow Him, He will mould us and form us like a potter forms his clay. He gives beauty for ashes, joy for morning. God specializes in changing crappy people in godly ones! But we can't do it ourselves!

Yes of course, above all, we need GOD. But i believe we also need one another. That's what the body of Christ (i.e. christians) is for! To encourage, to spur on, to learn from other another, to be accountable, to rebuke and correct in love.

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." Galatians 6:1-3

Yup. That is all.
Remember i'm no spiritual giant over anyone of you. Like a friend puts it:

'I am an average youth. With normal youth tendencies and attitudes. I laugh when i am happy. I cry when i get hurt. At times i feel like i am nobody, while at others I feel like I'm better than everyone else. I am a youth. I am just like everone else. And yet i am different. I have Jesus. Whenever you see me, Jesus is right beside me holding my hand. He watches over me. My life is safe and secure in Him. I commit everything to Him. But more importantly, there is nothing i can do that can stop my Jesus from loving me. If there was he would not have died for me. I am an average youth. With an invinsible Jesus.'

yours for Jesus and the unreached,
Pam