the    sides

She loves me and my family. She’s a huge voice of encouragment (on most days! he he) for us. And I think she’s been lied to. She said this to me…

Sometimes we have to tone down who we are, especially after we meet Jesus. Take me for example – I was a hippie, crazy, funny, Jim Carrey like person. But if I acted who I really am in church, people here would just wig out.

This is how I responded:

I can’t think of words strong enough to disagree with that statement. Somebody somewhere lied to you. What if God made you that way and by stuffing it and putting on a mask, you’re hindering the work of God through you? What if by stuffing – that was more of a sin than the ‘proper behavior?’ You are funny and crazy and FUN. You should worship and serve in an environment that explodes and accentuates the God-placed DNA inside you. Not stuffed. What if we are taking the biggest weapon God has in advancing his kingdom out of his hand by “toning down” our true selves so that we all look the same?

But here is the truth of that interaction. She didn’t always think that way. Somewhere in her life, it was communicated to her that belonging to Christ equated with belonging to the particular values and ideals of that group.

Instead of walking with her in her quest to figure out who she was/is supposed to be in Christ, somebody gave her a template of what ‘works’ or ‘fit’ in their small world. A way to dress, to speak, to interact, to dream, and to worship.

And in the process, the church was robbed of a uniquely gifted piece of the Body functioning the way He designed her to function.

May we who work with the moldable teens and leaders of today, not make the same mistake. And may God and others forgive us for our past mistakes.