To be a Christian, so many people feel they have to be perfect, or at least to maintain the image of perfection to the outside world. While it is true that our deeds are our greatest witness, there is no need for us to be perfect. In Christ's sacrificial death, He made atonement for all the sins ever made, and all those we would make in the future as well. Being a Christian does not make us perfect in our actions. Now, please, don't take this as a license to be as sinful as you please. I am only attempting to make clear that our perfection lies in our forgiveness from sins through the blood of Jesus. We are still human, and we will be tempted in life, and we will fall to temptation on occasion, no matter how hard we struggle against it.

Many of us as Christians feel it is necessary to hide our weaknesses, so as not to seem like hypocrites, claiming to be like Christ, yet living with sin. This is such a shame. When you hide your imperfections, you don't fight the image of hypocrisy, you further it. In doing this, we project the image that God's love is only for the perfect children of the world. We all know that is not true, for none of us are righteous. None of us could be good enough to get into heaven on our own. When we attempt to further propagate the image of sinless Christians, we detract from the message of Jesus Christ as saviour for the lost. We promote the myth that God saves only those worth saving. By our hiding our imperfection, we would have the world believe that God wants only those of us who never stumble. Is it not true that Jesus spent His ministry among the sick and the healthy, the rich and the poor, the church leaders and the prostitutes? He loved and died for all of us; good, bad, and ugly, to steal a quote from an old movie.

Instead of trying to hide your struggles with sin and temptation, allow God to use your struggle to minister to another. By seeing that children of God fall, yet He lifts them up again and again the world will see the mercy in our Father. By allowing the world to see you as a human, saved by the blood of a perfect lamb, Jesus Christ, the world will see the grace and love in our Saviour.

Just as there is a lesson to be learned from the stories of the entirely human people God uses in the bible, there are lessons to be learned from our failures. For instance, in the story of Abraham and Sarah, we learn that when God gives a blessing, He alone is the one who choose when to bestow it, and how. We cannot try to manage our blessings and bless ourselves, like Sarah tried to by giving Hagar to Abraham. But, we also learn that God didn't decide to take away His blessing because of Abraham and Sarah's mistakes. Instead He continues to bless Abraham. He does not forsake his child because of this fall, just as He will not forsake us as long as we continue to seek Him.

My point is no person could ever be perfect enough. The truly wonderful thing about God is that He is so wonderfully merciful. He loves even the unlovable. What's the old hymn say? The one that is such a favorite for many of us? Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound that saved a Wretch like me! It is the grace that we have in Christ that makes the biggest witness, not the perfect image of good little Christians. So share that awesome story of the grace and mercy of our Lord with the world, and see how many hearts respond to you.

©Copyright 2001 by Robin Eaton