I want to take the time to encourage all of you who have ever felt like you were, dun dun dun…….. backsliding in your life as a Christian. We are human and with that comes a lot of baggage and brokenness, more reason why we need a savior.
When I feel like I am starting to slip in my duties as a Christian, I think back on the extreme love and joy I felt when I first heard the good news and accepted Jesus into my heart. I didn’t want to short-change what I was called to be. I felt like I finally understood what life was all about and why we were put here. That was 4 years ago….
Now I am back into the reality of this fallen world. I am reminded that I suck on my own. If I didn’t have God’s Word to lean on, or Jesus to pray to, I would be left living life my way, and that way is dangerous.
I can’t speak for all of us, but since I am human, just like the rest of you, I am sure women can relate when I say that it’s hard to not feel hypocritical when trying to live a Christian life when it’s something new and wasn’t in our upbringing. We want to live up to these standards that we see in other Christian moms, Christian blogs, or in books, or even on T.V. (Michelle Duggar). But I’m broken, and live a life where I battle with selfishness, and struggle with anger at secularity (because it is inviting). Too often I throw my hands up in the air and want to give up. It makes me feel like I am being hypocritical.
I am supposed to die to myself.
I say I am Christian, but I angrily honk my horn at drivers who drive these ridiculously slow speed limits here in Washington.
I say I am modest but really I do care about my appearance, and even though I dress appropriately, I want to be cute, modern, and young.
I say I am Christian, but I am battling the rude thoughts in my head when I feel rubbed the wrong way.
I say I want to fellowship, but I struggle with being picky about when and who I want to be social with.
This list could go on, and on, and on. You know why? Because I am broken. We are all broken people. And we must die to ourselves daily and pick up our cross and keep pushing forward.
It’s ok to make mistakes, after all, we are sinners. But there is a difference in making mistakes and intentionally sinning.
In the end, I know right from wrong and have chosen to obey to the best of my ability. I also know that we should not cross fine lines and bend the rules when we know the consequences. Let’s not lie to ourselves and make up who we want God to be. It will only cause problems in our lives. Let’s accept that we are broken and together let’s lean on God’s Word and look to each other for inspiration and encouragement.
Let’s die to ourselves daily.
Jacie is a wife to a prior tattoo artist, mommy of 3 (so far) and born again Christian who has spent the last 4 years making up for lost time. She was not raised in a Christian home, or even aware of who Jesus really was, until her husband and her went through a tragic time that brought them both to their knees. She hopes that the Lord will use her tattooed-sinful self to witness to others who live the life she once did, and that other sinners like herself, will come across this blog (Munahs Cupcake) and see the dramatic change that Jesus’ love can do, and in return, may it bring them closer to Christ. Her goal is to raise her homeschooled children in the name of The Lord and to train them to be well equipped to survive and serve in this fallen world. Throughout her blog will be stories of who she once was, and who she has become. All glory to God!
