Humble Confession

I like romance novels. Funny, isn't it, after my rant last week, that I would come out and say I like them. See, I've only developed strong opinions on the issue because I've wrestled with it for a long time. I feel a little sheepish admitting that I've read several more short stories by the same author I found so simplistic and unrealistic. I enjoy lighthearted reading, and it is an escape from the daily grind. I don't think it's a healthy escape, but I still do it.

So why would I admit it? This blog is mine and the thoughts I post here are of my free will, so why would I come back to you and admit that I wrestle with the very thing I spoke out against? Because to do less would be a lack of authenticity, and I suspect that very lack is one of the problems in the church today.

When once something has been labeled as "bad" or even just potentially bad, good church people no longer admit to it's presence in their life. They go into hiding. Bury the book in a pile of other books so that know one can see I'm reading it. And with the hiding up come the masks. All sorts of happy faces with no problems coming to church every Sunday, hiding all the realities in their lives from themselves and those around them.

If we don't have authenticity, we have nothing. We have worse than nothing, we have an offense to the kingdom of God. Why? Because if all the people who call themselves Christians put on masks to try to hide the realities of their lives - then they are neither receiving the grace of God, nor sharing the grace of God. Seekers of the kingdom come to our churches and see "perfect" people and quickly realize, "Oh, I don't belong here, I could never be that perfect."

What if seekers of God's kingdom came to church and found people who were willing to say, "I think romance novels are detrimental to healthy relationships, and I still read them. I'm so grateful for God's grace in my life." (or some other confession of authentic struggle and grace in life) Is it possible, that those seekers, in the face of reality, might be able to say, "Oh!!! This is the place I've been looking for all my life, where I can be real about who I am, and I don't have to live in condemnation about that reality any more."

Let's come out of hiding. It's humbling, but not humiliating if we recognize the work and grace of God on our behalf. What shame has you buried behind masks? I'm learning if we will name the shame, renounce it, and ask God to replace it with His truth, we are on the path to authenticity, grace and true freedom. Keep pressing on!