When I Tell You I’m a Mess…

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When I tell you I’m a mess, I’m admitting I’m a sinner … I’m not saying it’s okay.

When I say that my life is a mess, I’m recognizing that I am living out the consequences of my sin and the sins of the people around me … every single day.

When I talk about the world being messy, I’m pointing out the fact that we live in a world broken by sin … and we need help.

Like so many, I hesitate to use the word SIN because too often that word shuts down the conversation. You see, we live in a society of “specks and logs.”

Jesus said,

Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?

Luke 6:41

And we’re guilty aren’t we?

Many Christians love to talk about and condemn sexual sin and abortion; while rarely admitting or even thinking about the fact that they are guilty of doing many of the things the Bible says “God hates.”

There are six things the Lord hates—
    no, seven things He detests:
haughty eyes,
    a lying tongue,
    hands that kill the innocent,
 a heart that plots evil,
    feet that race to do wrong,
 a false witness who pours out lies,
    a person who sows discord in a family.

Proverbs 6:16–19

Which one of us can honestly say we’ve never had a moment of arrogance or “better than you” pride? Who has never told a lie? Who hasn’t stirred up a little family unrest?

And those are things the Lord hates.

What about Paul’s list of things that come from a “sinful nature.”

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.

Galatians 5:19–20

Yes, he starts with the ones we love to condemn but what about lust, quarreling, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfishness, etc.

Seriously, aren’t we all guilty of at least a few of those?

And then there was the time a Pharisee asked Jesus…

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

Matthew 22:36

And Jesus replied…

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37–40

I don’t know about you, but I fall short of that kind of love every single day.

So, when I tell you I’m mess, I’m admitting I’m a sinner.

AND IT’S NOT OKAY!!

I don’t want to make excuses for my sins while pointing out someone else’s. I want to come alongside other “messy” people and lovingly tell them they don’t have to make excuses or pretend like they’re perfect.

There is a better way.

Jesus said,

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

“Your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 5:20 and Luke 7:38

And Peter, the disciple who denied Jesus, said…

And He [Jesus] ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His name.”

Acts 10:42–43

And friend … forgiveness is so much better than denial.

You see, we all know the truth. We know we are broken and messy people living out the consequences of sin in the world and in us.

John wrote…

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 

1 John 1:8

We are only fooling ourselves!

But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 

1 John 1:9

Forgiven and clean.

That is just better! Don’t you want that for everyone you know? Don’t you want them to know and love the One who is able to forgive their sins and give them eternal life?

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

I will continue to tell you that I’m a mess … not because I want you to believe it’s okay to be messy. It’s not! I don’t want to be a mess. I hate living out the consequences of my messes. I hate living out the consequences of other people’s messes. And I hate the messes we’ve made for ourselves in this broken world because we’re excusing the things the Bible clearly says “God hates.”

I will tell you I’m a mess … because I want you to know that I’m a sinner saved by God’s grace through Jesus. I want you to know there’s a better way to be free of sin than to pretend it doesn’t exist.

And that way is Jesus…

“the way, the truth, and the life.”

John 14:6a

Jesus said He is the way and then He added…

“No one can come to the Father except through Me!”

John 14:6b

Jesus is the One who took my mess and yours, my sin and yours, upon Himself. He suffered our punishment so we can come to the Father freed and forgiven.

When I tell you I’m a mess … I’m saying I need Jesus!

So, when I tell you I’m a mess … I’m not saying it’s okay.

I’m telling you I care about you and I’m inviting you to bring your mess alongside mine and walk with me to the foot of the cross … to Jesus. And I’m admitting that I will never be mess free this side of heaven no matter how hard I try … but I am trying.

And maybe, just maybe, you’d like to try with me and together with God’s help we can be a little more loving, compassionate, and caring. Maybe we can be a little less messy together as we link arms in faith united by His grace, mercy, and love.

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