I was editing a video to be posted on social media, and someone thanked me for editing out the part that didn’t flatter them.  Not to say that our social media posts aren’t edited and cropped to portray an idyllic picture, but I hadn’t purposefully taken them out.  I was just focusing on someone else for the shot.  It did get me to thinking, though.  Wouldn’t it be nice if those closest to us only saw the edited image, or the image we present in public?  What if those that bear the burden of taking care of us through thick and thin didn’t have to tolerate our inconsistencies?  Then we’d have no regret with those it matters the most, but would it really be honest?

 

Let me start by saying that we aren’t Christ, and we are not perfect nor anywhere close to it.  All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  I do, however, believe that we are commissioned to be His representatives on earth.  Not that we were designed to be less, but we weren’t designed to be deity.  No matter how hard we try to put ourselves, or anyone else on pedestals, we are all flawed.  But at the same time, we are all, hopefully, struggling to be more like Christ.  In the process of seeing each other struggle and overcome, we create the relationship and need for each other.  Perceiving perfection in others, and ourselves, only drives us apart.  Right or wrong, we use each other for a gauge or standard to see if we are enough.  (That’s a whole other issue.  It’s best that our only metric be Christ, but alas.)

 

So as much as our mistakes and imperfections can cause misery and regret, we must not dwell on them but seek to remedy the tear we’ve created through sin.   We must seek to rectify the damage we’ve done to our dearest loved ones, because in this confession and walk towards restoration, we show grace and love for each other like only Christ is capable of giving.  It gives us a chance to embrace our humanity, our flaws, and embrace each other in love and show each other there is hope for redemption in them as well as ourselves.

 

I’m not saying it is easy.  This is a life-long struggle for me.  I push to be engaged in each interaction that God places in front of me so that I am able to express God’s love and grace instead of my selfishness, but I often fail.  Then I regret the failure and feel unworthy triggering a horrible downward trend towards depression.  This pushes me away from those closest to me causing more regret.  It is thanks to my loved ones and Christ’s pure love that I am able to stop this horrible descent into pity, pull myself together, and return with my shoulders square to them ready to interact with all of my imperfections.

 

God bless y’all.  We appreciate the encouragement.

 

— Written by Kati