One of the greatest tragedies of our time is one of a misunderstood God. So many people mock Him… so many renounce Him… so many avoid the topic completely. Sometimes I don’t blame them. I have come to understand just how deep this confusion and misrepresentation goes, and the ones to blame the most are “Christians” themselves.

So many point fingers… so many play the blame game… so many use their faith as an excuse… so many use God’s name to label things that are not Him at all. We as a body of believers are the ones hurting God the most by not actually READING and WALKING OUT what the Bible says to do. We don’t have a true intimate relationship with our Father that will insue a heart change, which will overflow mercy onto those in our life. We don’t surrender, trust and experience God for ourselves. WE don’t know Him at all! We live off of what pastors, priests, popes and books tell us and expect life to be an easy, painless, walk in the park. We go through the motions, talk high and mighty, shut people out, but when the road gets tough, we blame others or walk away… blaming God for our hurts or misfortunes.

WAKE UP BROTHERS & SISTERS!! THERE IS A WORLD OUT THERE LOOKING FOR LOVE AND HEALING AND FRIENDSHIPS AND INTEGRITY AND AUTHENTICITY AND PASSION AND BOLDNESS… AND TRUTH! Yet, instead they keep getting yelled at, condemned, shut out and judged. OF COURSE they will associate that with God! YES that is wrong because we are limited people and HE is a limitless God, but that’s all they know about God! What else are they suppose to think?! WE are the ONLY Bible that people may ever read. What are you telling the world about God? About His identity? His love? His forgiveness? His mercy? His power? His healing? How is your life a testament to the promises of God? Are YOU living a life worth pursuing?

It’s time to show the world how AMAZING, ADVENTUROUS, LOVING, HEALING, FULFILLING, and OVERWHELMINGLY LIBERATING it is to be a follower of Christ! It’s time to be a body of believers that is proud, successful, confident, fearless, strong (mind, body & spirit), humble, talented, passionate, and free to be themselves! NOT poor, lost, depressed and conformed our whole lives… preaching people into hell.

It’s time to overcome our OWN battles and stop pretending we are perfect. It’s time to put our pride aside and ask questions about what we don’t understand about God. It’s time to open up our Bibles and get to know the One who created us so He can tell us who we are, what our purpose is and how to find true peace, love and joy. It’s time to stop alienating ourselves and get into a small group so we can surround ourselves with people that will encourage our walk with God and not keep us fighting just to stay in it. And when we are ready, it’s time to step OUTSIDE of the Christian bubble and represent Christ in the world! It’s time to start serving others so we can get our mind off of ourselves and our problems and help change someone else’s life! It’s time to stop complaining about our jobs, our lives, our finances and start THANKING God for what we DO have… God’s path is lined with protection, provision, grace, true love and opportunity. It’s time to start CHASING after God like a man or woman in love! It’s time to show the world who their Father is!

Are you willing to be a billboard for Him? Are you ready to step into your role as a true Christ follower? One who represents the true characteristics of Jesus? The man who actually spent time with the worst of the worst… loving, healing and encouraging them? If He was a servant on this earth, what makes you too good not to be?

THINK. ASK. SEEK… AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPEN TO YOU. BUT YOU HAVE TO WALK THROUGH IT TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE GOD. You can’t just pretend you know and bark orders from the doorway. You’ve gotta endure the consequences from your decisions made without God and decide to do things His way to navigate your way out. You’ve got to sit in the refining fires and let Him burn away your pride. You’ve got to let Him strip you of your false security and hidden idols. You’ve got to walk through the deep pain in order to find your purpose. You’ve got to carry your heavy cross in order to find your cause. There’s no easy way. It’s not a walk in the park. We are all broken and hurting from doing things our own way, from the decisions made by generations before us that affected us. No one is better than another. Our job (as Christians) is to push against the false realities of this world, believe God’s promises are true, and when we get to the other side of our transformation, build ourselves tall beautiful castles on the other side so that people will see how WONDERFUL and WORTHY God is of our love, trust, and worship!

My heart breaks everyday when I meet a non-believer. Not because of what they are saying. Not because I am offended, but because of what I know they are missing and misunderstanding. I wonder who hurt them. I wonder what turned them away. Was it one of us? It’s like being in love with someone and having people say horrible things about them to your face… behind your back… and to all of their friends. It’s excrutiating at times. Especially when you know that this God is STILL waiting with arms open wide for the day that they decide to believe… maybe love Him back. No one is too far gone. No one is unredeemable. No one will ever be bad enough or hate Him enough for Him to turn His back on them. He takes the abuse. He takes the jokes. He takes the hatred. And loves them purely, fervently, completely, unconditionally. His love does not depend on their belief in it. It amazes me.

I’m not sure if anyone will actually read this note all the way through (I tend to be a tad bit long-winded), but I often have moments where I need to purge my heart and clear the air. Maybe for me. Maybe for someone else. I just hope… I just pray… that I will always walk with a pure and humble heart to seek God’s ways for my life. That I may always treat everyone with as much mercy, love, compassion and forgiveness that He showed me. That I always remember where I came from and how undeserved my blessings are. That I will never misrepresent His love and promises to his sons & daughters, regardless of who or where they are.

God make me to be a servant leader. Enable me to have a heart like yours full of unconditional love. Show me wisdom, discernment and understanding in the most difficult situations so that I handle them with care and grace. Help me to be an instrument of your peace and love for your children. Give me the words, Holy Spirit, to help bring restoration to Your Name. And when I fall or make a mistake, let me have the courage in that moment to be humble, take ownership and admit my fault. Your love for me has lifted my head above the angry sea of my circumstances and made me to find peace and security in the worst of my storms. To You I am forever grateful for bringing me safetly to the other side of my battle… and ironically there I have found a love, peace, righteousness, strength and purpose that I never knew existed on this side of heaven. To You I will begin to build my castle high for all to see. To You I will lift up my worship and praise forevermore until You bring me home to You.

All honor and glory and praise to you, my Lord, forever and ever! Amen.