Share the Messy
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)
I don’t like to let people into the messy parts of my life. I don’t like to seem like I am not doing a good job. I don’t know if it is the perfectionist, oldest child syndrome in me or what, but I have never liked looking disorganized or a “hot mess.” One morning, when I was about to sit down and read the Bible for a little while, I stopped because I felt like a mess, a failure, someone who definitely doesn’t have it all together. Because I felt that way—I felt like I shouldn’t read the Bible at that time. Then the realization hit me: I didn’t want to let the Lord into my mess, either.
Yes, I would pray and be honest about what I was going through. I would spill feelings and emotions, but in the back of my mind I would be thinking of the solutions I had for these problems. I wasn’t really letting the Lord in.
While I believe discretion is a good thing—we don’t need to spill our guts to whomever, whenever and however we can, but we don’t have to be discrete with the Lord, either. First of all, he already knows; we aren’t really hiding anything from him. Second, and most importantly, he wants to be there for us. He is God. He is not afraid of a mess, and he can handle whatever we throw at him.
I think that is where so many of us, both Christians and non-Christians alike, get it wrong about Jesus. People are not perfect. We are not meant to have all our stuff together before we reach out to him. If we were perfect and had everything under control, why in the world would we need a Savior?
I am forty-five years old, I have been a Christian for most of my life, and I am still learning this. It is so easy to look at social media and see Christian “influencers” who look so cute in their adorable outfits and perfectly decorated houses and think that is what being a Christian looks like. It’s not. It’s easy to see people at church all dressed up and happily greeting one another and think that’s what being a Christian looks like. It’s not. I have nothing against posting pretty pictures and looking cute at church, but we let ourselves believe the lie that everyone else has it all together and we don’t want to let on that we don’t, so we pull away from church, pull away from Jesus, because we feel like we have to have it all together, or at the very least have a very cute outfit to wear, in order to be a good Christian. But that is not the truth.
The truth is, no one has it all together—ever. One week I received three or four compliments from different people at different times about how I was doing such a good job, how I always seem to have it together. I was stunned. At the time, I felt the least together that I had ever felt in my life. It made me think that (1) I have to be a little more real sometimes, and (2) people view us so differently than we view ourselves.
Allow me to let you in on a little secret. We all struggle. Nothing is as perfect as it seems. We need to be real with each other when moments to be real present themselves.
Another little secret. Christians are not perfect. This is why we so desperately need Jesus. We cannot do life without him. Don’t wait until you feel like you have your life all together before you seek Jesus. Also, don’t let other Christians’ seeming perfections stand in the way of your relationship with Jesus. All those people with their cute clothes and beautiful smiles and seemingly perfect lives cannot survive without Jesus either.
Since John 3:16 is used so often, I feel we sometimes forget how truly impactful this small statement is. God loved the whole world that he gave his only son for whoever believes in him. Whoever. There are no qualifications. Do you believe Jesus is the Savior? All you have to do is say yes. That’s it. He is for you. All the time, perfectionist and hot mess alike. He is there for you.
Dear Lord, How do we even thank you for the gift of our Savior? Help us to see that we don’t have to do this alone. We don’t have carry all of the burdens this world throws at us. Help to recognize when someone is struggling and help us share our struggles with you and with others. We remember that we are not alone and that you are always there for us. Amen.
Scripture for Reflection
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” (Rev. 22:13 NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30 NIV)
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3:22-24 NIV)
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Ps. 34:18 NIV)
“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” (Rom. 10:12-13 NIV)
Reach for More
Look for opportunities to reach out to others and share burdens. Let’s be more open to those around us. Let’s not put on a perfect face in every situation. Share how much you need Jesus.
is a writer, blogger, and middle school teacher. She and her husband live in Georgia with their three children. In addition to teaching and writing, Dana loves to read, paddle board, and sometimes run. She blogs about faith, family, and enjoying the everyday life at danaherndon.com.
Photograph © Halanna Halila, used with permission
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