Measuring Up

I have a lesbian friend. Let's call her Ellen. Ellen came out in recent years, but I knew her before she switched sides since we hung out in the same crowd. The same church crowd, I should say. Now one of our mutual church friends treats Ellen like she doesn't measure up. It would appear that Ellen's getting the cold shoulder due to her decision, but I don't think that's the case: I'm a pastor and I don't measure up to this particular "church friend".  I just think some people's special gift is the ability to find a reason that we don't measure up.

Funny thing is, I can think of a handful of religious people I'm not holy enough for.

Have you ever been around someone who made you feel like you didn't measure up? Maybe you didn't look cool enough, maybe you didn't have enough money, or maybe you also know a church friend who makes you feel like you aren't holy enough.

Funny thing is, there's a handful of religious people that Jesus wasn't holy enough for.

The Bible records an incident when Jesus was invited to dinner at a religious person's house. The town harlotte found out about Jesus' dinner plans and crashed the party, weeping at Jesus' feet and pouring perfume on Him. When the religious person who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, "If this man was the prophet I thought he was, he would have known what kind of woman this is who is falling all over him." This is just one of the many times when Jesus didn't see eye-to-eye with the religious crowd of His day. It's a good read in Luke 7.

There's nothing new under the sun: religious people are still acting like they've got the inside scoop, the secret code to get to the bonus level and save the princess while the rest of us poor schmucks can't seem to get out of level 1 without getting hit by Bowser's fire balls (Super Mario Bro.s is RAD!).

Why do we look at our lives through the eyes of the most critical person we know? Why, for some of us, do we think that person is Jesus?

My friends, this isn't the truth! No! Jesus ate dinner with prostitutes and hung out with corrupt businessmen. He wasn't too good for anyone! He loved those thrown out by society and saved the verbal spankings for those who thought they were all that and a bag of chips! Jesus knows what it's like to be rejected and looked over. He knows how it feels to be abandoned and betrayed. He's experienced the pain of being misunderstood.  Jesus isn't scrutinizing you Joan Rivers-style like you're on Fashion Police (yes, I've watched Fashion Police--judge not!). He accepts you completely! He doesn't do the I'd-accept-you-if-only-you'd-quit-eating-your-boogers kind of acceptance...He accepts you UNCONDITIONALLY! (But for health reasons and self-dignity, it should probably stop.)

So there's this social rule that says leave religion and politics out of dinner conversations. I'd disagree. I'd say leave religion out of EVERY conversation! It does more harm than good!

Don't let anyone make you feel like you don't measure up. You may not "measure up" to some self-appointed "experts" (experts at what? Making others feel inferior?) but you measure up to the God of the Universe! And you didn't even have to do a thing for His approval! He loves you because you're YOU! He gave you life because He wanted you on this planet! He made you unlike anyone else, and put you right where you're at right now so you can impact your world in a very YOU way! God displays HIMSELF through you in such a unique way that's never been done before and will never be done again! You are His work of art!

God is the standard, and if He said you measure up then only a fool would disagree.  Maybe you know some fools, but don't YOU be that fool! Accept yourself, faults and all! In Jesus' eyes, you measure up!

Ps 139:14-24

14 I thank you, High God — you're breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration — what a creation! 

15 You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 

16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I'd even lived one day. 

17 Your thoughts — how rare, how beautiful!

God, I'll never comprehend them! 

18 I couldn't even begin to count them — 

any more than I could count the sand of the sea.

Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! 

19 And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!

And you murderers — out of here! —  

20 all the men and women who belittle you, God,

infatuated with cheap god-imitations. 

21 See how I hate those who hate you, God,

see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; 

22 I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.

Your enemies are my enemies! 

23 Investigate my life, O God,

find out everything about me;

Cross-examine and test me,

get a clear picture of what I'm about; 

24 See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong — 

then guide me on the road to eternal life. 

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)