Never let 'em see you when you're breaking
Never let 'em see you when you fall
That's how we live and that's how we try
Tell the world you've got it all together
Never let them see what's underneath
Cover it up with a crooked smile
But it only lasts for a little while
There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scared
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God
Our culture tells us that we should have it all together. And if we don’t, we should at least keep up a good front. “The world tells us what’s needed is people of influence, people who move and shake with the best of them, people who stand on their own two feet and direct their destinies. It is the powerful who get things done, not those who stand in brokenness and need” (Brennan Manning).
But that God of ours, He says otherwise.
God sees us for who we are. He knows I’m a mess. He knows where I’ve been and what I’ve done, and he loves me anyway. He loves me in spite of me. He meets us where we are. He doesn’t love us because we’re perfect; he loves us because we’re NOT.
Only in our smallness, our weakness, our imperfections do we realize the power of God’s love for us. When we open up to the truth that everything we have is from Him, that we are completely dependent on Christ, He begins to change us from the inside out. I’m learning lately that the more we fully surrender to the Lord, the more we lean into His goodness, the more His light can shine through us. It amazes me that God wants to use imperfect people like you, and like me.
“The gospel is disturbing for those who think they’ve got it all together. Some of us have been told our whole lives that we are wretched, but the gospel reminds us we are beautiful. Others have been told our whole lives that we are beautiful, but the gospel also reminds us we are wretched. People are drawn toward folks who know they don’t have it all together and are not willing to fake it.” From The Irresistible Revolution: living life as an ordinary radical, by Shane Claiborne.
I pray Father God, help me to be real. Give me the courage to show others what a wreck I am. Help me to never pretend I have it all together. I pray that You would be merciful enough to save me from this ugliness and to make my life so beautiful that people cannot resist Your mercy.
‘Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves acceptance: Christ Jesus came in to the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.’ 1 Timothy 1: 15-16
