Standing Tall

We're all human. We have our faults and failures. We have those little things that have big consequences that we struggle with and, if we're completely honest, we hate that we do. We wrap ourselves up in our guilt, self-bashing over the fact that we've struggling with something.

I want to tell you something:

There's no shame in fighting.

Seriously, though. If someone blindsided you in an alley, you'd fight (or run). If sometime grabbed you and started to pin you, you'd make a grapple check and fight to escape. If you were thrown into the middle of a war zone, you'd grab a gun and fight for your very survival.

So why do we heap on the shame when we fight with sin?

I think we, as the church, have a slightly misguided idea on sin. Actually, frankly, we don't talk about it at all, not personally anyway. We see in the bible that we are to become like Christ, we see those Christians who are mature in their faith and we compare ourselves in our deficiencies. We see pastors being attacked and laid low in ridicule and run because of sin, when it's truly a lack of grace and understanding on the part of the secular media.

Sin is real, people, and until we reach heaven we'll be dealing with it. Heck, that's part of a Christian's ministry, fighting with sin and showing God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness. After all, we have a reminder in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness, that in our failures, he has an opportunity to show his power.

Does this mean that we should sin more to honor God? Absolutely not! The personal goal of Christianity is to constantly become more like Christ. There is no way in which purposefully, constantly sinning brings us anywhere near that.

No, we fight. Sometimes we fight things we can deal with on our own. Sometimes we need to enlist the help of a brother or sister. But for all of those times and ask the rest, we still need to be relying upon and honoring God.

So, next time you feel in the dumps about wrestling with sin, remember, you're not alone. I can guarantee there are others in the church who have been exactly where you are right now.

Fighting is not failing. It's when you give up or give in that you've lost.