Be Real

A few days ago, I was randomly browsing through various links on some Christian blogs and websites.   More than one caught my attention as they indicated that they had overcome some sort of adversity.   Stopping the mouse for my little arrow to hover over their "About Me" tag,  I clicked.  

In each case, they truly had overcome some sin or some stronghold in their life.  I am not diminishing God's work in their life at all.

But for each of these people I read about, it seemed like they had sinned once, felt great remorse, turned their lives around and it has been great ever since.  Or at least that was how I saw it portrayed.    I truly don't believe that was the way it was intended, but that is what I saw.  Or is that really how it happened?

Did their marriage, their kids, their finances, and all their decisions just fall into place and they lived happily ever after?   I don't think so.   Satan doesn't quit that easily.  

So what about the woman or girl reading their posts who has failed over and over and over again?  The one who thinks she isn't good enough or that perhaps God's grace really isn't enough to cover all of her sins.   What about the lady who still doesn't think that God could possibly love someone like her because He really does know every single thing she has ever done?

I am not suggesting that we should write about all the negative in life, nor that we should give Satan one ounce of glory.  But being real is what helps pull others out of pits and places of darkness and hopelessness.  

When we share what Jesus has done for us, it encourages others that they too can make it.    When the reality is spoken that marriage is tough, children from age 0 through adulthood push us to our knees, that fear grips us in the middle of the night for no apparent reason and that Jesus Christ is faithful through it all, lives can be changed.

The women who have had the greatest spiritual impact in my life are those who shared their lives with me and didn't pretend that everything is or always has been easy and perfect.   These were godly women who love Jesus with all of their heart and serve Him with reckless abandon. These are women who still face trials and heartache and disappointment and health issues.   But they continue to persevere and push through to the feet of Jesus day in and day out.  

Keep pushing.