It's like when people think a testimony is all the bad things you used to do that God brought you out of. And that you have to have a better 'testimony' than anyone and the worse you were, the better it is. But having lived a clean life is as much as a testimony as any. Maybe a better one, really.
i envy clean. clean is safe and sane. life would have been SO much easier clean and smart. foolishness bites you hard in the ass. scars suck. sometimes they still hurt.
but somehow they have their purpose in the grand scheme of things. that's the amazing thing about grace. it leaves everyone drop-jawed and humbled. even our best isn't clean enough - grace puts us all on common ground. it isn't what's on the outside that's so revelant. clean or unclean - it's Who's on the inside, working it all out. who's to say that a dirty blessed foot is better or worse than a clean unblemished nose? we're all of the same body.
one thing i love about Christianity is that wherever you go, there are arms to embrace you, no matter how you look or live. whether it's "Brother, can you help me" or "Brother, let me help you" it's that same recognizable Spirit.
It highlights God's grace and salvation from a more deep-set spiritual sin of "goodness" and pride. Oh yes, "goodness" is sin for folks with clean testimonies, I assure you!
And it highlights God's continuing daily grace and enduring love that raises a person up from childhood.
It took a while to convince me that I wasn't underpriviledged for not having an "exciting" testimony. ;-)
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The idea that divine health is better than divine healing applies here.
Better to not have had to be rescued from the crack house to begin with.
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but somehow they have their purpose in the grand scheme of things. that's the amazing thing about grace. it leaves everyone drop-jawed and humbled. even our best isn't clean enough - grace puts us all on common ground. it isn't what's on the outside that's so revelant. clean or unclean - it's Who's on the inside, working it all out. who's to say that a dirty blessed foot is better or worse than a clean unblemished nose? we're all of the same body.
one thing i love about Christianity is that wherever you go, there are arms to embrace you, no matter how you look or live. whether it's "Brother, can you help me" or "Brother, let me help you" it's that same recognizable Spirit.
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And it highlights God's continuing daily grace and enduring love that raises a person up from childhood.
It took a while to convince me that I wasn't underpriviledged for not having an "exciting" testimony. ;-)
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