On Easter morning, I went to church wearing white, skinny jeans. Perhaps not the finest choice, but I hadn’t shaved my legs in weeks, and after getting four little boys scrubbed and shined, I didn’t have much time for myself.
While walking the boys to Sunday school class, I passed a large family. They looked beautiful in their Sunday best. Easter dresses for Mom and daughters. Dad and sons all slicked up. I was taken aback when this lovely family began to mock me before I was out of earshot.
“Look at her! Who does she think she is wearing Levi’s to church?! And skinny jeans at that! They’re so white, I’m blind,” said one of the teenage girls.
“Can you believe her? Dressing like that for Easter?” exclaimed another.
The adults agreed that my outfit was awful.
I was shocked at how harsh these Christians came across, especially when I could still hear them as I meekly trailed our boys into church.
For a split second, I considered turning around, walking back to this family and introducing myself. I wanted them to know I loved Jesus. That it mattered to me how I dressed for church. Perhaps apologize for the skinny jeans…
But confrontation is not my thing so I kept walking, praying for this family. Praying I would love them. These were Easter people after all. Church-goers like myself headed for a packed a.m. celebration with a beautiful blue sky overhead.
It’s been more than a decade since I was born again. And just about that long since I traded a social life of bar mingling for church mingling.
I confess that on Easter Sunday last weekend, for a moment licking the wounds these Easter people inflicted mocking my skinny jeans, that I truly missed my old, bar friends.
For a heart-felt moment the bar seemed a friendlier place than church.
Missing the bar for a split second that seemed to last a lifetime, what I really missed was honesty.
“Hi, I’m a sinner, you’re a sinner, wouldn’t you like to be a sinner, too?”
Sing this in a bar and you’ll fit right in.
People in bars know they’re sinners.
In church, often people forget this.
Perhaps church people are the worst kind of sinners because they no longer think they’re sinners and they become spiritually proud.
Easter people all dressed up with blinders on their eyes.
My heart aches as I tell you how tired I am of this blindness in the church.
Dressed up people with no heart for the lost world. Church-goers who talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk of love with their Lord.
I think this is the biggest problem with Christians. They may know the Bible, but they don’t live it out. And they don’t love it out.
LOVE…
People are looking for love these days.
Bar people.
Hurting people.
Hopeful people.
So many people longing for real love. Desperate for the real Jesus. Coming to church searching for a genuine Savior.
Hurting, hopeful people mocked for their skinny jeans.
Or their addictions.
Or destructive choices.
The broken world coming to church, greeted by dressed up Christians who criticize. Christians who hold signs and bad-mouth politicians and blame Obama for America’s problems and they’ve got a log in their eye the size of Kentucky.
I just have to say this… Obama’s not the problem.
Christians who don’t live out their faith honestly and openly and daringly are the problem.
I realize this sounds harsh. And I want to humbly say I know some absolutely, astoundingly beautiful Christians.
Real Easter people.
Folks who passionately love Jesus and love others just as sweetly.
Easter people who read their Bibles every day and live the Word out.
Love the Word out.
If you get nothing else out of this blog, please get this. If you call yourself a Christian, live sweetly…
LIVE SWEETLY.
I understand this is hard sometimes.
When your driving down the highway and some person with an atheist licence plate frame cuts you off… LIVE SWEETLY.
Pray for that driver. Ask the Lord to bless him. Save him.
LIVE SWEETLY.
When your kids are making you crazy. When your sons have peed on the wall, the car, the dog, and your favorite lawn chair with you in it…
LIVE SWEETLY!
Live sweetly, share the Good News, and show the world Jesus.