All About Church Face.

Oh, church face.

You know what I mean? 

That face you put on when you go to church.

That smiling, nice to see you face that goes so well with your favorite earrings and those great shoes.

The face that gives no hint to the fact that your family has made you crazy trying to get ready for church - including your son that can't find anything other than green flip flops to wear with their church clothes.

The face that we wear sitting comfortably in our pews - when maybe what we really need to do is lay it all down to Jesus at the alter.  (Not that we would go to the alter.  Someone might think we have problems.  And we can't have that, can we?)

 The face that makes you seem like you have it all together instead of being the hot mess who needs buckets full of grace from Jesus. 

I was reading Matthew 23 where Jesus is really letting the Pharisees and teachers of the law have it.  Brood of vipers, hypocrites, whitewashed tombs that look nice from the outside but are full of bones and unclean inside.  None of these are things that I want said of me.  Not by anyone, but especially not by Jesus! 

And while I do try my best to live for Christ, how many times have I avoided someone because I feel that they drain me or avoided making eye contact at church so I don't get drawn into their drama. 

Instead, I put on my church face and stroll through the halls saying good morning to the other lovely church faces smiling back at me. 

Makes me feel a little "white washed tomb-y".  

No, it makes me feel that way a lot.

Look at verse 23.  Am I following the "letter of the law" - keeping the big ten (commandments), praying, tithing, attending church - but forgetting to show others justice, mercy and faithfulness?  Is my "church face" or my fear of being real, of letting it be known that despite my best intentions and desires that I fail Jesus daily - is it keeping me from showing others who Jesus really is and how crazy in love with them He is? 

The thing is, it's OK to not have it all together.  I have a very strong suspicion that no one else in church has it all together either.  I'm actually pretty sure that no one really has it all together. 

Maybe, just maybe, instead of focusing on trying to make it seem like we have things under control, maybe we can drop our church face and hit our knees instead.  Praying for God to help us to show His love through us, using us to reach our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors - even enemies. 

You see girls, we don't have to be perfect. 

Which is good because there's no hope of that happening.

We just have to be willing.

And that I can do.