Who Do We Think We Are?

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Luke 18 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
I want to challenge how we as people, who love Jesus, see “sinners” (or the poor or the marginalized, etc) and also how we see those in our own community.  

Why do we get involved with ministry?  Because our hearts long for connection to God and we want to share that with other people.  But somewhere along the way, the church went a little sideways.  It seems like it’s more about “saving” or helping the marginalized and the poor and the people who “need Him,” than the saving power of Jesus and the life changing results that it brings.  

When we get honest with ourselves, working with people who are “sinners” makes us feel good.  I think we need to change how we think about “sinners.”

On a personal note, but for a choice or two, I would be one of them.  I would have been working the streets selling my body for money or maybe in the adult film industry or on the streets homeless with nowhere to go.  I think it could be that way for any of us.  I have also thought like the Pharisee mentioned above, which is interesting considering where I have come from.  You would think I would be completely humble, yeah not so much.  Verse 14 pretty much sets me straight.  Good reminder, Lord!  Thank you!

I also think there is another issue at play in churches today, which is actually much more heartbreaking to me.  It’s the mentality that we have to find sinners outside of our church for our time spent to be deemed valuable.  Well, I have some bad news.  Our own communities are falling apart because we want to save all those “other people.”  Because isn’t it easier to work with people who are “sinners” than working with each other?  If we work with “them,” we can put ourselves above them and not have to look at the sin in our own lives.  I know for myself, it is much easier to justify my sin if I’m working with people who don’t have the same areas of brokenness.  But if I work with someone I know, I have to make a choice.  I can either hide my sin OR I have to actually call out my sin and repent.  OUCH!  I don’t really want to hear that to be honest.  I really don’t.  And yet I do.  I really do!  Because deep down, I want to be called to more!  I want someone to look in my eyes and say, “What you are doing is sin and you need to repent.  How can I help you on your journey?  Because I want to see you FREE!”

I want to get personal and ask some hard questions for us as individuals and for our church communities.  There are men AND women in our church body who watch pornography and who are what we would call sex addicts.  There are people in our church whose marriages are falling apart, who have been sexually, physically and emotionally abused (which means we probably have people doing the same things in their families), who are addicted to drugs/alcohol, have eating disorders, struggle with pride, who don’t know Jesus in a personal way… You get it, right?  This list barely scratches the surface.  So, what are we going to do about it?  

The first step in healing our communities is to go back to the verses listed above.  “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’  I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God…”  God calls us to more.  Especially in churches where healing ministries exist, He wants more from us.  He doesn’t just want the church to walk around in the muck and mire, He wants to set us FREE!  What does that look like?  I’m passionate about having church be separate from the rest of the world.  That does not mean to me that we don’t interact with the world, it means we don’t BECOME the world.  There is a big difference!  

It means we take inventory of our lives and we remove those things that hinder us being authentic with our church community.  And then we get some accountability in our lives.  And then we start to become real with each other and allow others to walk along side us and live life with us.  Most churches don’t know how to even begin the process of allowing God to come in and clean house with our minds and our hearts.  Because it would mean everyone would be held accountable for their words and their actions.  But I truly believe the only way we can have full, authentic community is for us to change our hearts and remember that someone else’s sin is not better or worse than our own.  It’s just different.  I heard something great this past weekend.  You don’t see my dirty little secrets, but just because I see yours doesn’t make me better than you.  It just means I have different sin.  That’s what we need to remember when thinking about someone else’s sin.  It’s just different, not better or worse.

Every day, I hurt someone (or more than one) with my words or my actions.  It’s not intentional and it’s not done out anger, it’s done out of my humanity.  And every day, I think I’m better than someone else.  But that’s not how I want to live, I want to live in a place where I can see sin for what it is, no more and no less and I want to have my Father’s heart for sin.


PRAYER:
Father, forgive me for my arrogance.  Forgive me for putting myself in a position of thinking my sin is better or worse than my friend or neighbor or someone from my church community.  You alone are judge and I release my judgment to You.  Forgive me for trying to put myself into Your shoes and for being distracted from what You have for me, for my friends and family and for the church community.  I lay it all at Your feet and ask for You to pick it up and clean it up and make things new again.  I love You!


WHO AM I?
I am Dorene Froese. This weekend I went to training for aftercare for victims of sex trafficking.  The girls that come out of the life are called sparrows.  I learned that I’m a sparrow spared.  That means that I can understand them, but I was spared their life.  Here is what I wrote as a way of processing some of my time this weekend.  It was a rich experience, but it was incredibly painful at the same time.  I wouldn’t trade it for the world, because in that place God met me and I am forever changed. 

I was born to work with you because I understand you. I was young and taken advantage of... I fell in love with my abuser... I went back over and over again because he said he loved me... I did what he wanted even when I didn't want to...over time, I learned I was nothing but my body and what it could do... I felt worthless, unlovable and not worth anyone's time... I learned it was easier to stay with him because at least someone loved me... I learned it was easier to believe the lies than try to accept the truth... I learned not to hope because hope was futile... I stopped growing emotionally when I was a child... in fact some would say I'm a child in an adult's body... I know what it's like to not be able to make decisions or even know how to think (even after all these years I struggle)... oh sweet women, I know all these things and more… really I do… but I also have hope.  Jesus is my friend and I love Him.  I want to introduce you to the Jesus I know.  Not the Jesus  you have experienced from church.  I want you to meet the Jesus who loves me.  My Jesus.  I don’t trust Him 100%, but I trust Him more today than I did yesterday and he understands why it’s hard.  I don’t know all the verses to share with you—He’s ok with that too, in fact I think He kinda likes that.  I don’t have all the answers, but He doesn’t expect me to.  He says, “Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?  I know her already, but I want to be formally introduced.  I want to show her how much I love her.  She won’t believe me at first, I know.  It’s going to take time, maybe 20 years.  But she is worth it!  I would wait 100 years for her.  Can you do that for me?  Would you just introduce us?”  Yes Jesus, yes I can.eet women, I know all these things and more... really I do... but I also have hope. Jesus is my friend and I love Him. I want to introduce you to the Jesus I know. Not the Jesus from church. I want you to meet the Jesus who loves me. My Jesus. I don't trust Him 100%, but I trust Him more today than I did yesterday and He understands why it's hard. I don't know all the verses to throw at you (I mean share with you)—He's ok with that too, in fact I think He kinda likes that. I don't have all the answers, but He doesn't expect me to. He says, "Why don't you introduce me to your friend? I know her already, but I want to be formally introduced. I want to show her how much I love her. She won't believe me at first, I know. It's going to take time, maybe 20 years. But she is worth it! I would wait 100 years for her. Can you do that for me? Would you just introduce us?" Yes Jesus, yes I can.

This is my build a bear.  I’ve had him a long time.  He has gone through a lot with me, including getting his hiney ripped out by my dog.  LOL… but he is a faithful friend as all bears are.  J