Let His Hope Arise

What makes the world call Christ followers hypocrites?

The “church” today, with a lower case c mind you, has pointed fingers, shamed, sinned behind closed doors and lied about it and so forth. I am here to change the narrative.

I believe as one called to seek and save the lost in HIS name, living life authentically is necessary. I do not believe in hiding my past, keeping my struggles to myself, not acknowledging my weakness in front of others when I represent Christ.

Mandy has been known for her crazy sinful lifestyle of train wreck behaviors and self indulgence. I am so happy to say, that is no longer the case! It is not that all the desires completely go away, or that I don’t fall into situations, conversations, things that even trigger the once addict to want to use. It’s what I do with it, the feelings, the thoughts that matters. This is what sets me apart from being a hypocritical religious Christian as many are.

What led me to write this blog today about this topic? Once again here I am sitting on the edge of my bed reflecting with worship and coffee. Lately I have taken my eyes off the ONE due to being overly tired. I worked 2 night shifts this weekend and butchered 6 pigs in between those shifts. Worth it, but this has resulted in me feeling anxious. Me and rest are a good team. We can think clear etc., But when this girl gets tired, it is a little easier for thoughts and feelings to creep in. I started to look at my finances, why things were not happening in my timing, frustrated over the things I cannot control.. This is setting the stage for reaching in my mind to other things to solve the issues. Can my husband fix it all? Can money solve it all? Y’all I even went to the dining rooms and got a bottle of wine I bought 4 years ago and put it in the fridge last night. That may not seem like a big deal. If I wasn’t feeling some type of way, it would not have been a big deal. But my thoughts were to drink it and relieve myself of the issues by “using’. I am not saying the alcohol is bad in any manner, but the way I went about ALMOST using it would have been. Why am I sharing this? This is authentic Christianity. This morning I wept before GOD for even thinking and looking to other things even if I didn’t act upon them physically. HIS grace is always sufficient.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says in the AMP version:

⁹ but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.”Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. 

This is what allows me to be a Christ follower and not a hypocrite. This keeps my heart humble knowing HE is my strength. I don’t have to have it all together, but I must look to the ONE who does. Let’s be transparent and stop pretending that WE as Christians are any better than those who are LOST. It says in the word, HIS kindness leads to repentance. HE is the way the truth and the life. Be the LIGHT. Show others who are just like you even if they walk and talk differently that there is Hope. It’s HIS job to transform, our job to point others to the answer to it all. JESUS.

HIS grace is the only thing that has ever really made me want to change. I do not take this for granted.