I recently re-read some of my older journal entries, and i came across a topic that i was ranting about in my journal, because i saw this, in my eyes, disgusting competition. I was sitting among a group of fellow Christ believers and incredible people, who were discussing all of their pre-saved, “lost” life antiques. Whatever you want to call our lives before spending a new one with Christ.
But This was no time of confession, or therapy, or testimony, it was bragging. I was sitting in on this conversation where back and forth the conversation grew in competition of our biggest baddest sins, and all the big bad people we were before becoming Christians. Sentences flogged with
“O, well i used to do this..”,
” That’s nothing, i used to do that and this…”
“Well I’ve seen this…”
etc.
in that moment i couldn’t believe we were arguing over how many unrighteous things we’ve done, who was the biggest sinner in the room type of thing. And not even the mention of how God redeemed us from those things.
Don’t interpret this as a folly, testimony is a very beautiful and important thing! The measures of God’s power and miracle make an amazing testimony for us little of faith, and we do need to discuss and confess our sinful lives, to recover from their damage. But those of us who have been saved from the deep shadows of life should not desire that for other people. We should hope and pray for children and babies to trust and believe in God out of the womb, we should pray for our societies mentality to change, pray that we don’t need to hit rock bottom before we allow help in our lives or before we decide to let God change our lives.
Sin is not something to brag about among our piers. The only bragging belongs to God for rescuing us, and a bad ass, (sorry i’m not sure how else to describe it) is not described by the sins they have lived through, it should be how incredibly devoted they are to God, and how much they exude the Holy Spirit. When we are competing with each other, which is inevitable, let it be about how great God is and how much He has rescued us.
Romans:8
