The CCM Experiment: April 4

Feeling: Relaxed, happy, excited, exhausted.

Doing: Blogging, household chores, then took an afternoon adventure with a friend in which we took a wrong turn and made the trip an hour longer, explored an abandoned barn, hiked a good number of miles around a lake, and ate frozen yogurt.

Listened to: The Almost (pop punk)

Lyric that stood out the most to me:

"Truth works just like it needs to...

I can't take this down
I don't need it
No, I don't want it
God, I don't want it
I want to feel proud
I won't let them see
Won't let them see me
Won't let them see me now
It should be easier"

- Want To, by The Almost.

This song is reminiscent of discovering the truth of your sins in the scriptures. It isn't fun and it isn't pretty, and we want to fight it. It feels good to be proud of who we are, to assume we are good people. When we stumble upon Bible passages that show us we are otherwise, it will cause us to feel ashamed of the things we've done before God, and it can hurt. It is supposed to hurt ("truth works just like it needs to"). 

We want to feel proud, and therefore we can't let our sins and our struggles be known by our fellow believers. They all seem so good, living such upright lives. But the fact is, no matter how good any of us try to appear, deep down we all have our struggles with particular sins. If someone comes to us and says what sin is plaguing them, is it right of us to look down on them for it and assume a moral high ground? No. Because while their sins may be different from ours, God views all sin as sin. The one who hates his brother and the one who murders him are equal in God's eyes.

Let's find ways to support, pray for, and encourage each other to pursue godliness, rather than making our fellow believers feel like they have to hide their struggles from us.

What is the CCM Experiment?