What if I Stumble?

I spend way too much time wondering about what is the "right way" for a Christian to live. I'm not talking about how to "look" like a Christian. I'm talking about connecting with people regardless of their beliefs, lifestyle, or circumstances in a way that is real and shows others the love and mercy of Christ - yet without compromising the commands given in scripture. It seems that there is always someone to offend; someone will always see me as a hypocrite. I feel trapped into a life of hesitance and non-action as a result, and something tells me that's exactly where the devil wants me to be. It's time to do something (anything!) and not worry about what other people think about it - the only one I have to please is God. 

I don't want to live in judgement of others. It's not my job. Pardon my french, but I don't have my own shit together. I don't want to worry about whether someone else does, and how would I know if they did anyway? I don't want to segregate myself from the world, because that's not what Jesus did. He hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors (think repo men?) and challenged the religious leaders of his day (mega-church pastors?). I don't want to swallow the teachings of men without comparing them to God's word - you might identify yourself as a Christian, but that doesn't make you inherently right (i.e. the Babywise debacle and other misguided teachings based on scriptural phrases taken out of context). 

I want to live with common sense - taking God's word for what it is and not trying to fill in all the blanks. I believe that in the Bible, God gave us what we need to know for this life, but I do not believe that it is an all-encompassing, complete textbook. God has only revealed to us a sliver of the vast realm of knowledge. Our human nature is to go searching for the rest, even though God has told us we have enough (as in - don't eat from that tree; you have all you need without it). God will eventually reveal these mysteries (Mark 4:22), but I don't think he's going to bother with that until we can figure out how to trust in and apply the knowledge already given to us. I'm guessing he is more concerned with us learning to love our neighbor than he is about us learning the truth about creation (young earth creationism vs. old earth vs. intelligent design vs. evolution). And that's just one example of the things we allow to distract and divide us.

Here's one to chew on - which do you think concerns him more? Same-sex marriage among non-believers, or "Christians" refusing to show grace and mercy to others? I give this just as an example - there are about a million others I could come up with and the point isn't what God thinks about it, it's how we respond to others. Is it in love? Now, if someone is a professing believer and wants to live in a way that clearly goes against the teachings of Christ, there is a time and place (and appropriate manner) in which a brother or sister in Christ can (and should) approach that person and "speak the truth in love" (Matthew 18:15-17). Otherwise, I am sticking with these wise words from 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 - "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside." (NIV). And I'm going to let Him decide the who, what, when , where, and why of that. My job is to love. 

My point is not to get anyone up in arms about specific issues. In fact, that's exactly the opposite of my point. I hate debating issues. I want to be an example of God's love, and grace, and mercy. I want to be a good mom, a good wife, and a good medical provider. I want to leave a legacy of joy, not condemnation. 

This blog is my place to "think out loud" and bounce around the ideas that struggle with each other when trapped inside my head. I reserve the right to take back or amend anything I say whenever I feel like it. I will not attempt to be politically correct (I avoid anything political at all costs, in fact) and I am sure I will offend everyone who reads this at some point or another, although it is not my intent. It's just a side effect of honesty. 

So what if I do stumble? He'll pick me back up again and set me on my way...