I would rather my child sin and fall short then walk around with a buttoned up.. ironed.. polo shirt ..looking the part... playing the part.. and have a heart that is far from God at best.. self righteous at worse.

And while this post and blog are mine I desire to enter into dialogue with you ..

I have been walking through a situation that includes a child of mine  (so you have a mother's heart in the play here... I will not deny that).  But beyond a mother's heart the incident has provoked oh so many questions in regards to faith, grace, Christian standards... God's heart, God's standards... etc

What constitutes a leader? A student leader etc..... What role have we put upon our leaders? What needs or expectations do we have for them that God does not? What do we  expect? What does God desire?

Micah says... "He has told you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice,  to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?"

Jesus addresses the Pharisees of the day and beyond calling them white washed tombs expresses that they put upon the people a weight and burden of righteousness that is not from His Father... an exterior set of standards that would cause any to stumble...

David... an adulterer and murderer ... called a man after God's own heart...

Paul... having not achieved but pressing onto the goal... the things he hadn't wanted to do doing...  no condemnation in Christ...

The topic had come up during the week in a completely other conversation .. and I had begun thinking upon it... my conclusions had been that it is really sad that people feel like as a Christian they have to have so much or be so much or do so much or "what does it say about their Christian witness"....

Does it detract from the gospel if I am poor? Sick? If I am a Christian and my life is broken then doesn't that say that my Christ can't fix everything?  What if a child is sick and I'm in leadership and he or she isn't healed? Am I disqualified?

It makes me sad that people legitimately struggle with these thoughts.... it makes me sad BECAUSE it so falls short of the heart of Father.... This isn't a theological disagreement this is a lack of knowledge and it causes people to perish...

There aren't many things that get my proverbial goat... but the spirit of religion is one of them..  I won't call it righteous anger that flared.. but an anger that encompassed more of a mentality that said I would rather my child sin and fall short then walk around with a buttoned up.. ironed.. polo shirt ..looking the part... playing the part.. and have a heart that is far from God at best.. self righteous at worse.

I want to scream at the top of my lungs .. Jesus came to point to the heart of God... to whom did He come? The broken.. down trodden... sinners... sick.. outcast....  Who did He appoint to be His leaders.. the ones He would entrust with the whole story of redemption?  One would deny Him ....  but it was upon that man's confession  that Jesus said He would build His church...

Flip the coin.... and I see as a leader.. my choices really aren't just my own... I think about posting something on facebook.. could I post it .. yes... but is it wise, is it life giving... will it cause people to wonder about if I am saying something I am not... I take those into consideration... I think when I write about the ramifications...

But there has to be grace... I don't want to see in a leader some performed exterior standard of righteousness that I would have to work exhaustingly to attain.. I want to see (and am grateful that I am blessed beyond belief to have in my life) leaders that walk as real men and women...  acknowledging weakness and welcoming God's strength... it would speak more to me of the reality of Christ and His works on the earth to see one who is being real with the faith walk then one who would stand before me presenting a beautiful white exterior to a casket... but inside be full of the driest of dry bones and full of death but performing a false righteousness that only causes others to die.....

It was for freedom that He came ... For the love of God... For the heart of Father.. Creator...  Mercy triumphing over judgment...  kindness leading to repentance... all of us dust and but being dust carrying the most magnificent life within ... our walk more about that which He has done not what we can achieve... no tower of babel to be built here ...  no accomplishment for us to possess ...

Jesus is beautiful and the way He loves us broken .. frail.. imperfect ...  and draws us up into Him.. not as a work of the flesh but as a journey of faith is amazing.