I have had so many conversations about how some people feel more comfortable around non believers than they do christian’s. I have to say that I have often felt this way, too. But at the same time I think we tend to hold believers to a higher standard and when they fall off the standard or platform we think they should perform to we become disappointed. He said, she said, she did or didn’t do. We forget that believers even though saved by grace are still imperfect and every day we still fall short of perfection.
As a believer, a wife, a mommy, and a friend as hard as I try to love Jesus, to pour out to Mark, and dry my kid’s fears and tears there are days when I cannot and do not feel strong. There are days when all I want to do is run for a good hiding spot and not come out. These moments and days are ones when you will probably see me in Wal-Mart snap harshly at my kids, I may glare at my husband, and may give less than my best to the rest of the world. There have been times when I have been fed up with a situation and the thought of dealing with it or the people involved make me red in the face thinking about it. In this moment I will probably say something unkind, irrational, and undeserved. Does this make me less of a believer? Well, maybe in the moment, but what it makes me, is human.
There have been times when we have all wanted to throw in the towel, when we have said something that has hurt another, either conscious or unconsciously. I do know that I want to be loved regardless, I do know that I want others to think the best of me, even when my best is not showing. I would hope that instead of condemning me for the thoughtless remark(s), the shortness with my kid’s, would be thought in the terms of I wonder how she’s doing. I wonder if she needs a break from her kids, is her husband struggling at work. I hope and pray that thoughts would go beyond the moment to what is going on in my heart and then hopefully I am stopped and prayed for, loved on, and sent without knowing it to the throne of Jesus, who can and will minister to the hurting, broken, and weary.
So, before rocks are thrown at believers and we are thought less of in the moments when our mouths have run when they shouldn’t or we are less than our best in public, please know we are human too, please know we are very aware that we fall short everyday and like all humans, most of us are the hardest on ourselves and need as much love and encouragement from the rest of the world as others.
I once heard a quote that says, “be kind for everyone is fighting an unseen battle”, this includes christian’s and sometimes christian’s have a harder time dealing with it because we think we shouldn’t struggle, we think we should have perfect peace all the time and never emotionally struggle. But, we are all human and we all have unseen battles. Whether we are Christians, atheist, or any other religion let’s all assume the best of each other, let’s all assume we are struggling and have a gentle, loving, encouraging smile waiting for the frustrated mommy, the struggling daddy, the lonely widow, and the ones that say the things that hurt the most. Let’s remember, they must have a lot of hurt or loneliness, or something we cannot imagine. For the sake of peace, let’s think the best of one another, even us Christians who sometimes, often times mess up in big ways.