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Embrace the mess

"Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy."  Ephesians 4:22-24



The society we live in today puts so much pressure on us to live up to an unrealistic, "perfect" standard.  Society tells us that we need to collect ourselves through our failures and faults and put on the image that everything is fine when we may in fact be struggling.  Fake it until you make it, right?  Wrong.

That's the thing; Paul says to the Ephesians to be like God in the renewing of our hearts.  Jesus never asked us for perfection.  He doesn't care if we mess up and fall down.  He understands that our humanness and sinful nature will deceive us.  But Jesus says to simply look to Him.  Let Him transform our failures into victories.  Let Him transform your mess into a beautiful work of art.  Let Him shine that heavenly bright light through your dark and broken pieces!


So a few days ago, I had "one of those days."   My joy was diminished for a moment because my imperfect human self spilt coffee on the way to class.  I felt shame when I forgot to bring my journal that I worked so hard on for class the day it was due.  I was overwhelmed with the sense of being rushed to go from class, to work, to bible study.  I was impatient when I saw the clock ticking forward and but had no time to find a close parking spot.  Notice how this collection of inconveniences are far from a big deal.  That's usually how it starts off for some of us.  The mildest inconvenience occurs and our whole day feels like it has been thrown out the window with no way to get it back. 


I was just about to leave my job to go to bible study when all of a sudden I managed to spill a freshly brewed cup of coffee on my white as snow denim pants.  It burned, it smelled like bitter coffee for the rest of the night, and I'm pretty sure it is going to take two washes to get the stain off.  But interestingly enough, I couldn't stop laughing and smiling when it happened.  

God's word registered in my heart and brought so much life to my unfortunate clumsiness that was to follow.  Instead of feeling more anguish over my destroyed white pants, I felt joy.  If I listened to how society would tell me to respond to that, I would have been filled with frustration.  But instead, the kindness of God and His word not only released me from that particular burden, but filled me with a lighter heart and an abundance of joy.

Want to know where God met me?  He met me in the middle of my sour attitude.  He didn't wait until I got my act together.  No, He met me smack dab in the middle of my imperfection.

As I stood in the mirror looking at my reflection, I smiled.  I read my t-shirt that I randomly picked out that day and I smiled bigger.  "His love never fails."  All the bitterness that accompanied me earlier was washed away by this coffee stain sitting on my right leg

I am an imperfect person.  We are all imperfect people.  But Jesus sees us beyond our coffee stains and brokenness.  Instead, He views us as pure as the white pants that surrounds and overpowers the stain.        

When society tells us that we need to go hide until we clean up, try walking in a joyful confidence in sporting that stain!  Be a tangible representation with finding joy in the middle of the moments when we fall short and make a mess.











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