By Gia Roberts

     I am a Christian.  I'm not perfect.  In fact, I am perfectly flawed.   It's my flaws that make me a perfect candidate for Christianity.   I am the reason Christ died.   He thought I was to die for!  
     I needed to say that for two reasons: First, I needed to say that to everyone who watches Christians, believers and non-believers alike, and have the idea in their minds that a Christian person is supposed to be perfect or flawless.  Perhaps you've never consciously​ verbalized those ideas, but maybe you have looked at someone who "claimed" to be a Christian and judged them harshly or maybe even unjustly because they did not live up to YOUR standards or expectations.   It is this fallacy in our thinking that causes Christians to walk around carrying heavy loads of hurts, disappointment, and fear; they are afraid that if you find out that they struggle in their walk with Christ that you will discredit them, their calling, or their ministry.  Matthew 6:14-15  "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
     Secondly, while I understand why we feel the need to communicate the idea that we are perfect, we are doing a disservice to the work of the kingdom.   In essence, we are making Christianity an exclusionary club that is only open to "perfect" people.  The bible tells us in 1 John 1:8-10 that "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
The Walls Groups sings a song that speaks to this idea.  Here are the lyrics:  
"This song is not for you, if you've never cried a river
Or had your heart broken in two
This song is not for you, if everyday you wake up
The skies are blue
But this is for anyone, no matter how you pray
The pain won't let you get through
But you try and you try
Still they lie, they say that it's over for you
If you're a miracle today and God has always made a way
If you have food to eat, a place to sleep and you really can't complain
This song is for you"

Here's my truth:   It's 2016 and today I am comfortable in my skin.  I didn't wake up one morning to find myself in this place.   In order for me to get to this place, God had to sit me down and remind me that I was created in HIS image.  It took a whole lot of reassurance from God before I knew my worth.    The world had knocked me down, told me I was not good enough, and would never amount to much of anything...BUT God!.  It took me realizing that I am not my past.  I am not what I did, or what my parents did.  I am not my finances, my neighborhood, or anyone's idea of who I should be.   I am comfortable in my skin, but it took God constantly refueling me when the enemy drained  me of everything I thought I knew.   So, when you see me walking in confidence, it's not perfection -it's God.   I am a Christian.  I'm not perfect.  I am perfectly flawed, but Christ died for my imperfections and that gives my life WORTH!