My Christian life is like reality TV.
You see, reality TV gives people the ins and outs of the daily lives of people, competitions, and pretty much anything about others that people will watch. I find myself watching select reality TV shows on a rare occasion and a few shows about people bidding on storage units, shopping for homes overseas, decorating their homes, and making food.
Oh, but wait, some of those shows are educational and not reality TV because you learn something. I may learn something but it is still reality to me because much of it is not scripted. Well, actually, it’s all scripted because even the hard core reality shows aren’t really real. You see what they want you to see. What I mean by ‘scripted’ is that the actors and actresses get a document that outlines every move, every sentence, and every appearance. Words to describe my idea of scripted are fictitious, fake, not real, and staged. They have made up names and personas. That isn’t so in reality TV.
Reality TV is for TV addicts; blogs are for computer addicts. Our blogs are read by those who love being online and getting information that way. As bloggers we “bare” our souls, share our recipes, write about our lives, and hope we don’t TMI to the point our spouses go “waaiiiittt just a sec there!” or “hold on…that wasn’t meant for the blog.” Our blogs are scripted just like reality TV. We check, double check, triple check, and sometimes have our family and friends read the post before we let it go live. We tweak, edit, and primp photos so in the end they look amazing compared to the original image. We make our lives look “perfect” to the outside world or we show that we aren’t perfect but still make sure we don’t look too bad.
Even reality TV shows about God-fearing families only let you see the family drama they want you to see. That scripting can lead to trouble because the broken world makes people dig for anything to prove that a family isn’t perfect, especially if those families proclaim to be perfect Christians. There is no such thing as a perfect Christian, which is what should have been shown in the first place. But that is an entirely different topic.
In general, reality TV and blogs are all about us, at least most blogs. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. We bloggers want people to relate to us.
My question is this: Why are we afraid to show the good, the bad, and the ugly if we are Christian?
We strut like we have all the answers and perfect lives, but we don’t. We have the bible, which guides us, but we are not all knowing. The only perfect, and all knowing, is the Trinity; God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
I’m wondering what would happen if Christians showed the world their whole person rather than the “Christian” side? Could we love greater and deeper? Could we spread the Gospel like Christ rather than being the stereotype Christian in a church pointing fingers?
All we are like sheep and have gone astray, and that doesn’t change when we accept Christ as our savior.
I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands. Psalm 119:176
It means we have a moral compass, the Bible, and we try our hardest to follow His word. The Bible specifically states the behaviors we are to avoid (and if you don’t know them you can find them in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10). If we love God, and really follow Christ, we should work at NOT doing those behaviors. I know many just point to certain behaviors, but there is a list that God frowns on not just one or two behaviors.
If we stumble, we shouldn’t hide it but rather show our repentance and how we got through it. No more scripting our lives to make us look perfect.
Be honest. Be open. Be loving. Share God’s truth. The one who really wants to believe, and accepts Christ, will then know what it means to be a Christian and be human and be loved by God.
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25
