"Christian" -ish

Sadly, I find it hard to label myself as a "Christian" anymore.

I always want to clarify, "Yes I am a Christian- but not like you might be thinking.  I mean, a serious one, Bible-believing, firmly rooted, conservative, repentant, still-a-sinner but work-in-progress."

"No.  I mean, yes, I do go to church every week, but its more than that..."

"Yes, Wednesday's too.... (cringe) well, the sinner's prayer, yes, but its more than that..."

"Its not religion, its a relationship...."

"Yes, I talk to Him... no, its not weird... He does answer... well, no, not audibly like you or me..."

"Baptism by emersion..."

"Yes, I actually read my Bible."

"...Well, no, not everyday, but almost."

"No, I'm not judging you, I care, I want you to be blessed, I want you to know so that you'll know, you know?"

I'm fully aware that the title "Christian" has been so watered down it doesn't even register as being credible to most people.  I can't even express how much this breaks my heart, frustrates me, and gets my stomach all twisted up.

What I want people to see is that almost all of the heartache they feel and the burdens they carry can be eliminated when they put their full faith in Jesus Christ.  To do that is more than a 3 step prayer process, it is a constant continual surrender of ones' self; it is the saturation  of one's life with God's Word and prayer, not just reading it, "...and so deceiving yourselves, do what it says;" it is in letting go of the trappings of this world and living relationally instead.  In relationship to God, and in relationship to others.

Oh how I wish I could plead with people to get it.

This means less focus on busy things that occupy time and space but lack eternal value.  The mom stays home with her children, the dad works less, the kids scale way back on extra-curricular activities, over-achievers achieve less, singles don't bury their singleness in work.
We live on less money.  We let go of toys and excess, even the excess we've deceived ourselves into believing is necessity.  We let go of bigger houses, fancier cars, exuberant vacations, fads and gadgets.  We turn off the TV.  We power down the computer.  We get over the awkwardness of not knowing how to fill our time without these things.   We "strain towards the prize for which we have been called."

Everyday, I see people.  I watch them walking on the road, working behind the counter, in line at the store.  Their faces, their demeanor, its like I can almost see the big gaping whole in their souls, the cancer in their hearts.  Would you like to be healed? My Father is a great physician!

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest."