You are enough

I want to say something to my blog readers who might not get this church thing:  people who think that church is full of people that you can’t trust with your problems, who are judgmental, who think that they are better than you, who just need to mature in love and grace and life with God before you could ever believe that they are any more than just “Christians” (exaggerated finger movements).

Because there are Christians.  And, a lot of us have met those.  They’re great people who would give the shirt off their back if you needed it.

Then, there are “Christian”s who will tell you everything that’s wrong with your life and how you need to change and how you don’t go to church enough.  And, these just happen to be the same people who you know are sleeping around or going to clubs and getting drunk or getting high.

And then, there are people who aren’t Christian or “Christian,” and they’d still give you the shirt off your back if you needed it.

And, the truth is that you find a lot more of those “Christian”s than you find real Christians, right?  In fact, you find so many “Christian”s that the word Christian almost inspires a sense of distrust for you.  Those people have to prove themselves real, moral, loving, gracious people before you’ll ever listen to a word they say.  Because, most Christians you know are nothing more than hypocrites.

I want to tell you a secret.  Many Christians – quote or unquote – think that way too.  Our churches are full of people who actually don’t trust each other.  Part of it is because they find others to be straight-up “Christian” hypocrites.  But, on the other hand, many people who make up church see themselves as belonging among the “Christian”s, and the fakes.

In fact, they not only belong or belonged in that group, but they know how to fake it, how to pretend to be super-righteous, godly, Christ-loving, etc … at least around the right people.  And, then they see someone and part of them thinks, “Man, I wish I could be that good and moral and righteous and perfect like her/him.”  But, another part of them thinks, “That person can’t be everything he/she is pretending to be.  I bet they x, y, z when no one is looking.”  You’ll have to prove that you’re this perfect/godly/good when no one’s looking before I’ll trust you with anything about me.

I’ve been on both sides, the “Christian” and the judgmental jerk.  But, I’ve realized something.  Nearly, every Christian I’ve ever met would probably claim to have been or even be a hypocrite.  No matter how hard you try to be Christian (because being Christian feels like playing the part – being moral, going to church, saying no); no matter how perfect you try to be, you screw up.  You list sins, hobbies, habits in your heads – things in your past and/or your present – and think to yourself.  “If they knew this or that about me, they would see for who I really am: someone who doesn’t deserve to be called a Christian.”

In fact, the only way you can feel good or happy about yourself and your own efforts is by projecting your feelings of hypocrisy on others.  “I bet they’re just as bad as I am.”  In fact, “I bet they’re worse than I am.”  The thing is … Christians do this.  Furthermore, non-Christians do this.  For a lot of people, the church is what is keeping them from God because they see so much hypocrisy.  But you know what?  You are just as guilty of judging people, of seeing the name Christian and projecting your own brokenness onto them.

And, I’m sick of it.  I’m sick of thinking that way.  I’m sick of navigating the waters of church worrying that others are thinking that.  So, I’m starting here.

You are good enough.

You – the “Christian” – are good enough.  You are good enough to worship with me.  You are good enough to love God.  You are good enough to be His child.  You are good enough to be loved.  You are good enough for Christ to give His life for.

You – the non-Christian – are good enough.  You are good enough to worship with me.  You are good enough to love God.  You are good enough to be His child.  You are good enough to be loved.  You are good enough for Christ to give His life for.

You are enough!

You are good enough to carry the name Christian on your back.  Regardless of what you’ve done.

You are good enough to be a part of a church that fights Satan.

You, with all of your imperfection, are good enough to be called a child of God.

We get so caught up in what’s wrong with church, its people, its structure, its make-up.  We forget the most important part of the Gospel.

You were enough for the God of this world to die a gruesome death.

If you think that you are a “Christian”, that’s okay.  You are enough.

If you think that you are incredibly judgmental, that’s okay. You are enough.

If you think that you are a hypocrite, that’s okay.  You are enough.

If you think that you could never be good enough to even pretend to be a Christian, that’s okay.  You are enough.

God created you.  In that single moment, He decided that you were enough for Him.  And, you can’t break that decision.

Oh, and then He died for you proving how much you are worth to Him a second time.

You are enough.

If you get anything, please get that.  You are enough.

Let’s be church together.