You're a Christian? So what.

Christians have been given lots of names over the years. Self-righteous. Hypocrite. Phony. Poser. And in reality I think we deserve them. Think about it for a minute... there's a reason the hour before church has been called the "unholy hour." Moms and Dads yelling at each other, at the kids, trying to get everybody out the door. I remember how careful I had to be as a child not to get my "church clothes" messed up before church. Church people worked so hard to look the right way and dress the right way and talk the right way, when they were at church. But come Monday you couldn't tell the difference between the people who went to church and the people who spent the weekend at the bar!

In Romans 2 Paul calls out the Christians who thought they were better than everybody else just because they believed in Jesus. He tells them that being born into a certain culture or family doesn't make you better than anybody else. Claiming the name Christian because you say you believe in Jesus doesn't make you a Christian any more than having the name Jesus makes you the Messiah!

In the end, it's not your church attendance, your outfit, making everyone think you have the perfect family for one hour on Sunday morning, or even calling yourself a Christian. What makes you special in God's sight is your actions. Look at Romans 2:6,7 "He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers."

I would rather see you fail and fall and get up seeking forgiveness. Then claim you never have to get up. Some even talk about they have failed - but then do everything they can to hide those same failures. My mom wrote just today in her post on Psalm 11 from God's perspective, "I do not demand a perfect life from you, but I do demand your allegiance and your efforts to draw near to me so that I can draw near to you." If God doesn't demand a perfect life - why fake it?

I believe what the world is desperately looking for is authenticity where Christianity is concerned. When I can be honest with people about my faults and failures and at the same time point them to my relationship with Jesus as the sustaining part of my life, even with my screw-ups, they begin to see God for who He really is. Not a dictator who demands perfection, but a Father who desires relationship.

See Corey. See Corey run. See Corey fall. See Corey's God help him up, brush off the dirt and encourage him run again.