I would like to challenge a saying that is used frequently by church people. I do not agree with it, and every time I hear it or see it I kind of cringe.
"We, people of the church are all messed up" "We are messed up followers of Jesus" And it can be put in a couple other ways too, but all including the words that "I or we are messed up".
Messed Up (From dictionary.com)
1. beaten up; looking disarrayed.
2. confused and unhappy.
3. intoxicated with alcohol or narcotics.
Using the dictionary.com thesaurus by typing messed up the following words came up: broken, damaged, confused, disorderly, unmethodical, puzzled, careless, & dirty, just to name a few.
I do not believe that anyone that is in a true relationship with Jesus can be labeled, as defined above, as "messed up". Messed up is what you are before you come into a relationship with Jesus, not after. I think that if you are still messed up after you have given your life to Jesus, then it may not be a true relationship. I do believe that people in a true relationship with Jesus "mess up" alot, but "messing up" is very very different from being "messed up". I view "messing up" as temporary occurrences, which are forgiven and forgotten due to Christ's mercy and grace on the cross. I view "messed up" as a state of being that is more than a temporary occurrence.
In terms of the apostle Paul. He was messed up before he came to know Jesus. He was killing people, he was confused, he was out of control. Then he saw the light (literally) and he went from "messed up" to "full of life". Although Paul still sinned, I do not think that he would consider himself messed up since he met. Paul's story is like most Christian's stories of life. We were lost (messed up) but now we're found (in Christ). We were blind (messed up), but now we see (the light).
God gave us the authority to name His kingdom. Adam named the plants and the animals. We name our children. What chose for names is of the highest significance. In other countries and in the Bible, and maybe here too, people name their children names that are adjectives for the state of being in their lives or surroundings as they are having them, adjectives like "suffering, poverty, death, no hope, and lifeless". I'm no psychology major, but when you name something or speak about something negatively, then it usually becomes negative. For example if I told everyone that my workplace was "hell". Then I would probably wake up every morning with the negative attitude to go and face "hell" all day, or do I really have to go to "hell" today. If I said my workplace is a blessing because it allows me to provide for my family and myself, then maybe I would wake up every day thankful that I have a job and my day would not be "messed up".
Maybe I am wrong about all of this, and maybe I need some different points of view which would be welcomed, but for now my belief is that Christian's are not "messed up", they just "mess up".
Bottom Line - Lets turn "messed up" into "blessed up"
That's the Facts
4 years ago
4 comments:
I think you're messed up from the chest up.
Hmm...it's interesting.
Paul's words however in 1 Timothy speak something different to me:
5Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
In this passage, Paul is telling me not that he hasn't quite made it past the "messed up" realm. He says, "of whom I AM the worst" rather than, of whom I used to be the worst.
Other confusing writings about doing what I don't want to do and not doing what I want to do speak to this "messed up" nature as well.
I don't want to be messed up anymore than anyone else...but I still mess up...way too often in fact. It's not something I'm just okay with. It's something I'm continually trying to get better at. I'm also blessed up.
To me it comes down to a question. If someone came up to me and said, "So, now that you're in a relationship with Jesus, you're no longer messed up? I could not answer them honestly by saying, "No, I'm not messed up any more."
Forgiven and no longer messed up are two very different things to me. That's just me though.
You did not mention the verses before.
1Timothy 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I see your point. I guess hearing Christians referred to as “messed up” has never bothered me, because I interpreted “messed up” as “not perfect”, or “sinners”, which we are. However, after reading your dictionary definitions of “messed up”, I agree that “beaten up; looking disarrayed; confused; unhappy” aren’t words I think of to describe Christians in general. Because, in finding Jesus, we find life. But, as I’m writing this, I’m thinking, well, sometimes we do still get beaten up, disarrayed, confused or unhappy. Although God doesn’t want those things for us, unfortunately the enemy is still at work in the world against us. Bad things happen to Christians, or Christians make bad choices. But then, we can turn to God to find grace, forgiveness, comfort, wisdom, and happiness. So, maybe Christians do at some times seem dictionary-definition “messed up”, and we are often slang-definition “messed up” (not perfect). I don’t know…I think it’s tough because the English language is kind of “messed up”. Between having multiple definitions for words and then creating additional slang meanings for words, it’s hard to know for sure what anything means anymore. I guess we’re left with the question “is that how we want to define ourselves to others?” Giving Christians a more positive label does seem that it may give us a more positive goal to work towards. So, if you had to choose 3-5 words to describe “Christians”, what would they be?
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