Plastic Christianity

Plastic Christians annoy me . You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones always smiling as if life is full of flowers and sunshine . They carry around a fake sense of spirituality that is almost sickening . For any Christian who is truly struggling with sin,despair,depression.pain.doubt,despair and they have no answers but cliché  after cliché . You just need more faith or your prayers are not sincere enough . If you trusted like I did , then your business would not have failed , you would have been healed . I will stop there but you get the picture.

Sometimes, if we are truthful, we just cannot figure out what God is doing or has done. It is not always easy to trust or believe. When we look around and see so much real pain , real hurt ,real disappointment. Real fervent prayers for healing not answered, financial collapse , job loss , illness , divorce and even suicide. These things happen to real Christians. What are we to do , throw up our hands and quit ,walk away.

I can still recall one of the must callous things ever said to me . Just after my Mom had been told her cancer was terminal , a so called Christian brother after sharing this news , implied that she or I needed to have more faith . At that moment I was glad I was in my car when it was said to me. It cut , it hurt and it bled me. That is a plastic Christian . They can't allow for the world that is full of pain and brokenness. So they see those who are hurting,sick,struggling with sin , failing as defective .

Take heart dear brother or sister if right now your are struggling with doubt . If you feel forsaken and your heart is melting within you. You are in good company . Open the Bible and read with confidence the saints of the old and new testaments. Read of the cries and laments. They were broken,hurting , and they were real. Sinners in need of a God who was real . Who trusted in the promise of the one who would come and did come. A Saviour who was born in a lowly manger . Born of a virgin but in blood and water , a ordinary birth . who lived a normal life. Not rich , not of privilege . Who knew temptation but did not sin . Who wept with those in mourning. Finally giving His life , not that we might not still feel the pains of this world , but that we might be redeemed for the next. He experienced a brutal death on a cross , rose again and ascended to heaven to intercede on our behalf. His name is Jesus and He is not plastic.

So if you are in a dark place , look upon Jesus , Cry out , feel free to weep ,cry , lament and know that He is not far off from the hurting , the weary , the broken .


[18] The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
 (Psalm 34:18 ESV)