Hey there.
I know what you're thinking. You've had a long day full of nothing but challenge after challenge. Let's change that.
My goal in writing this is to broadly but somewhat specifically talk to you, you imperfect person. I do not intend to call a specific person out but I know that you, reader, will read this letter as though it is directed to you personally.
Before I begin, please, let's get one thing straight. As the title suggests, this is a letter to an imperfect person. We are all imperfect. We are all equal. We all have fallen in some way or another. Therefore, this is a letter to me, to you, to my professor, and to the lady who knows my usual order at my favorite restaurant. This is a letter to all of us. We are all imperfect.
I want to first talk to the nonbeliever. The person who, despite countless attempts by themselves and by others to make Christianity clear, for some reason resists God's word. I want you to know that I do not judge you by any means, and that I as well as many others are praying for you. I challenge you to for seven days, one week, explore God's word. Do not absentmindedly flip to a page hoping to grasp something. No. Start from the beginning, Genesis. Read about the creation. Read about what God did in seven days. In one week, the same time that you will spend in this passage, God created the Earth and Heaven. He created you, your favorite beach, your dog, your life. In seven days, thousands of years ago, he created your life and all that surrounds you and gave it all a purpose. At the end of this week, do not stop. Continue on, read Romans 6 and Romans 8. Talk to someone, anyone, and ask them to pray for you. Allow God to work in your life. Sure, it is terrifying to relinquish your life over to Him, but trust me, what He will do with you is so much more powerful than anything you would do alone.
Next, come forth the Christian who has stumbled. I know you. You lied, you denied, you did something that is not worthy of God's grace. I know you because I have been there, time and time again. I know you because you are like everyone else, a sinner. The cool thing, though, is that there is rescue. There is an awning in the midst of a torrential rainstorm. There are also outstretched arms welcoming you. That, that is the grace of Christ that we deem ourselves unworthy of. No matter the sin, the wrongdoing, the utter corruption that we face, there is safety in God's love. We know the story, we've heard it over and over, if we give our lives to Christ and ask for repentance, our sins will be relieved. As a child, we see this incredible, as an adult we find this impossible. But, its true. We simply have to ask for forgiveness. Crazy, right? We, we small and meek beings, can be acknowledged and eternally loved by the God who created this entire world.
To the person who find themselves wrapped up in addiction. Whether innocent or evil, a devotion of any kind can take us away from God. I know this personally. One of my former favorite television shows, Preacher's Daughters, displayed young Christian girls drinking, partying, and doing drugs. Though it was awful, I could not stop watching. I realized just last week how terrible this was to not only my faith, but to every viewer and participant's testimonies. This is true of all addictions. They begin as innocent acts to relieve stress or alter our view of ourselves, and before we know it, they control us. We become their puppet, each remote, bottle, and pill the puppet master. Stop now. Cut the strings binding you, causing you to be dependent on the strength of the addictions.
You, you who is afraid to live out your faith. You sit in church, sing the hymns, then neglect your faith until the next Sunday. You are afraid to tell your friends "no" or miss out on a party. You don't want others to look at you and say, "oh, she's a Christian." Please, please do not sacrifice your faith for this temporary world. Stand up for your Father who stood for you. We are told in the Bible that we will be persecuted for our beliefs just as Christ was on Calvary, but we cannot run from Him. We must remain a light that shines to the darkening world. We have to rise above these temporary pleasures so that others will follow suit. As Christians, we cannot stand idly by as a dear friend approaches Hell. We cannot deny our Lord. The judgement now is nothing compared to the judgement later.
Finally, to you, the person who believes that you are alone. Two words. You aren't. Among you are thousands of people who are struggling with their own battles, but are covering up their scars. Know that no matter your past, no matter your choices, you are loved. As one author once wrote, "not all who wander are lost." There is always acceptance and forgiveness whenever you return home.
Reader, know that I am praying for you. I am praying for God to guide you, speak to you, and for your comfort. Stay strong. God's blessings are perfect, well-timed, and meant especially for you. You are imperfect, but you are loved.
Sincerely,
An imperfect person who has been saved and blessed with everything that I can imagine.
I know what you're thinking. You've had a long day full of nothing but challenge after challenge. Let's change that.
My goal in writing this is to broadly but somewhat specifically talk to you, you imperfect person. I do not intend to call a specific person out but I know that you, reader, will read this letter as though it is directed to you personally.
Before I begin, please, let's get one thing straight. As the title suggests, this is a letter to an imperfect person. We are all imperfect. We are all equal. We all have fallen in some way or another. Therefore, this is a letter to me, to you, to my professor, and to the lady who knows my usual order at my favorite restaurant. This is a letter to all of us. We are all imperfect.
I want to first talk to the nonbeliever. The person who, despite countless attempts by themselves and by others to make Christianity clear, for some reason resists God's word. I want you to know that I do not judge you by any means, and that I as well as many others are praying for you. I challenge you to for seven days, one week, explore God's word. Do not absentmindedly flip to a page hoping to grasp something. No. Start from the beginning, Genesis. Read about the creation. Read about what God did in seven days. In one week, the same time that you will spend in this passage, God created the Earth and Heaven. He created you, your favorite beach, your dog, your life. In seven days, thousands of years ago, he created your life and all that surrounds you and gave it all a purpose. At the end of this week, do not stop. Continue on, read Romans 6 and Romans 8. Talk to someone, anyone, and ask them to pray for you. Allow God to work in your life. Sure, it is terrifying to relinquish your life over to Him, but trust me, what He will do with you is so much more powerful than anything you would do alone.
Next, come forth the Christian who has stumbled. I know you. You lied, you denied, you did something that is not worthy of God's grace. I know you because I have been there, time and time again. I know you because you are like everyone else, a sinner. The cool thing, though, is that there is rescue. There is an awning in the midst of a torrential rainstorm. There are also outstretched arms welcoming you. That, that is the grace of Christ that we deem ourselves unworthy of. No matter the sin, the wrongdoing, the utter corruption that we face, there is safety in God's love. We know the story, we've heard it over and over, if we give our lives to Christ and ask for repentance, our sins will be relieved. As a child, we see this incredible, as an adult we find this impossible. But, its true. We simply have to ask for forgiveness. Crazy, right? We, we small and meek beings, can be acknowledged and eternally loved by the God who created this entire world.
To the person who find themselves wrapped up in addiction. Whether innocent or evil, a devotion of any kind can take us away from God. I know this personally. One of my former favorite television shows, Preacher's Daughters, displayed young Christian girls drinking, partying, and doing drugs. Though it was awful, I could not stop watching. I realized just last week how terrible this was to not only my faith, but to every viewer and participant's testimonies. This is true of all addictions. They begin as innocent acts to relieve stress or alter our view of ourselves, and before we know it, they control us. We become their puppet, each remote, bottle, and pill the puppet master. Stop now. Cut the strings binding you, causing you to be dependent on the strength of the addictions.
You, you who is afraid to live out your faith. You sit in church, sing the hymns, then neglect your faith until the next Sunday. You are afraid to tell your friends "no" or miss out on a party. You don't want others to look at you and say, "oh, she's a Christian." Please, please do not sacrifice your faith for this temporary world. Stand up for your Father who stood for you. We are told in the Bible that we will be persecuted for our beliefs just as Christ was on Calvary, but we cannot run from Him. We must remain a light that shines to the darkening world. We have to rise above these temporary pleasures so that others will follow suit. As Christians, we cannot stand idly by as a dear friend approaches Hell. We cannot deny our Lord. The judgement now is nothing compared to the judgement later.
Finally, to you, the person who believes that you are alone. Two words. You aren't. Among you are thousands of people who are struggling with their own battles, but are covering up their scars. Know that no matter your past, no matter your choices, you are loved. As one author once wrote, "not all who wander are lost." There is always acceptance and forgiveness whenever you return home.
Reader, know that I am praying for you. I am praying for God to guide you, speak to you, and for your comfort. Stay strong. God's blessings are perfect, well-timed, and meant especially for you. You are imperfect, but you are loved.
Sincerely,
An imperfect person who has been saved and blessed with everything that I can imagine.