SOAP March 23, 2014/ Be real...

Scripture: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27 ESV)

Observation: Living out one's faith does NOT mean pretending to be perfect or putting up a façade.

Application: Let others see your struggles so that God may be glorified when victory is won.  We live in such a private and shut out world, we pass people struggling all day long and seldom notice.  We have been acclimated somewhere along the way that "Christianity" means perfect little people , living perfect little lives.  We all know the stereotype, but how do we overcome it?  

Imagine you are at a business dinner and the server comes to the table offering a choice of red or white wine.  2 of the men take red wine, 2 white, and 2 take no wine at all.  At first glance, this seems completely normal, not even worth taking a second look at.  How does your view change if you know that 1 of the 2 men at the table that took no wine is an alcoholic?  That little piece of information turns this simple decision into a struggle, a battle that can be won or lost.  Who is going to celebrate the victory with the alcoholic who was able to say no?  No one...because they don't know the struggle exists.

I am not advocating that we should be proud of our sin, I am instead saying that we need not be concerned with covering it up.  We are dirty, filthy, sinners, and are only made clean in Christ.  There must be more celebration of overcoming the struggle.  Victory in silence, how does that glorify God?  It doesn't...it glorifies ourself.  When other people know the struggle exists, they can see the impact that God has on Our lives, it brings accountability, and it glorifies God when they can see with their own eyes God changing lives.  We should celebrate every victory, every choice of righteousness over sin, this glorifies The Lord.  God sees everything...let us not be like whitewashed tombs.  

Prayer: Daddy, let Your church be filled with REAL people, with REAL problems, in love with a REAL God, and who love one another.  Let them be the kind of people who are victorious in Christ, tear down walls, and build treasure in Heaven,valuing You as the greatest treasure of all.  Let them celebrate and glorify You in every victory, no matter how small it may seem.  Amen!