Yesterday, when I was leaving the library, this kid asked me for a ride. He was poor. Lacking natural and spiritual nessecities. You could just feel and sense it. While we were in the car, we were conversating, and he said "are you a christian?" And I said 'yeah." And he said "are you perfect?" And I said "no!!! far from it!"
It really killed me that he said that. And I gotta be honest, sometimes, I really despise the word 'perfect' because of what religion has made and percevied it as. It makes people like him feel like he isn't good enough in "our" eyes. When the reality is, God Loves him so much. Even in that state. On drugs. Homeless. Broken. It makes him think people like me, look down on him. And I HATE it. I hate that religion has made people "act" perfect. Making sure everything lines up to what they think 'perfect" is. On the road to heaven, right? God, pleased with them. And displeased with trash like him. Or people that aren't turning to the Lord and "acting " perfect too. (I am not calling him trash...I'm saying that's what some people would characterize him as.) And it gives him this false image of God and makes him not want that...not want God. Which I don't blame him at all! When we act "perfect" or portray this image of perfect by "trying " to please God and follow His rules...it's really fake. Because our nature is not perfect. So as we do that...we are really giving glory to ourSELVES. Not to God. When we begin to give ourSELVES to God and allow Him in our hearts and allow Him to unveil Himself to us, there will be an INWARD transformation. It won't be a show. It won't be a desperate attemp to try and please God and be something infront of man. What pleases God is when He can have us with Him. When we give Him our hearts and minds as a sacrifice. In a secret place. In an intimate place. Not trying to prove anything. Except that you are nothing without Him. That you fall short. And love conditionally. That you have hurt people. And don't really know how to forgive though you want to so badly. That you don't react to people in a loving way at times. And your patience is running thin. When we "act" perfect infront of people when we really aren't...we are being fake and making people feel where you are compared to them is so far away and impossible for them. That they can't possibly walk that walk too. Especially because the bondage and oppression they are in...that holds them down and makes them already feel worthless and like they just can't do anything. The torah (LAW) wasn't something that the Israelites were supposed to follow. It is IMPOSSIBLE! To try and be perfect. To do this and that on our own. To Love and be kind and forgive and be meek and act the right way in every situation. Even though it's our intention. The torah (LAW) was supposed to be the image of God. Written on our hearts. An unveiling of Him. The sacrifice being...this is what I think I know...this is who I am (underneath the mask I put on for everyone else). PLEASE show me YOU! And change me! To be good for people. Show me YOUR Love! Show me what 'perfect' is to you. THAT is pleasing to Him. When we lay it all down. When we surrender. Hey, I've put on masks before. I have a couple. Because my burning desire and intention is to be and do what's right. But In reality...I am NOT perfect. So I had to make a choice to want to throw those masks away. So He could change my face. So people can see the real me. And Him IN me. So they can see what I am not and what He is...and what we are TOGETHER. So they feel like they too can make it. That God loves them. And that it's not always gonna be easy. BUT YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
MLB
It really killed me that he said that. And I gotta be honest, sometimes, I really despise the word 'perfect' because of what religion has made and percevied it as. It makes people like him feel like he isn't good enough in "our" eyes. When the reality is, God Loves him so much. Even in that state. On drugs. Homeless. Broken. It makes him think people like me, look down on him. And I HATE it. I hate that religion has made people "act" perfect. Making sure everything lines up to what they think 'perfect" is. On the road to heaven, right? God, pleased with them. And displeased with trash like him. Or people that aren't turning to the Lord and "acting " perfect too. (I am not calling him trash...I'm saying that's what some people would characterize him as.) And it gives him this false image of God and makes him not want that...not want God. Which I don't blame him at all! When we act "perfect" or portray this image of perfect by "trying " to please God and follow His rules...it's really fake. Because our nature is not perfect. So as we do that...we are really giving glory to ourSELVES. Not to God. When we begin to give ourSELVES to God and allow Him in our hearts and allow Him to unveil Himself to us, there will be an INWARD transformation. It won't be a show. It won't be a desperate attemp to try and please God and be something infront of man. What pleases God is when He can have us with Him. When we give Him our hearts and minds as a sacrifice. In a secret place. In an intimate place. Not trying to prove anything. Except that you are nothing without Him. That you fall short. And love conditionally. That you have hurt people. And don't really know how to forgive though you want to so badly. That you don't react to people in a loving way at times. And your patience is running thin. When we "act" perfect infront of people when we really aren't...we are being fake and making people feel where you are compared to them is so far away and impossible for them. That they can't possibly walk that walk too. Especially because the bondage and oppression they are in...that holds them down and makes them already feel worthless and like they just can't do anything. The torah (LAW) wasn't something that the Israelites were supposed to follow. It is IMPOSSIBLE! To try and be perfect. To do this and that on our own. To Love and be kind and forgive and be meek and act the right way in every situation. Even though it's our intention. The torah (LAW) was supposed to be the image of God. Written on our hearts. An unveiling of Him. The sacrifice being...this is what I think I know...this is who I am (underneath the mask I put on for everyone else). PLEASE show me YOU! And change me! To be good for people. Show me YOUR Love! Show me what 'perfect' is to you. THAT is pleasing to Him. When we lay it all down. When we surrender. Hey, I've put on masks before. I have a couple. Because my burning desire and intention is to be and do what's right. But In reality...I am NOT perfect. So I had to make a choice to want to throw those masks away. So He could change my face. So people can see the real me. And Him IN me. So they can see what I am not and what He is...and what we are TOGETHER. So they feel like they too can make it. That God loves them. And that it's not always gonna be easy. BUT YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
MLB
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