"Fine!"

James 5:16 (NIV)  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Some people grow up in homes/settings where there is an unwritten curriculum. It’s a short, simple curriculum about what to communicate to others. No matter what the situation… no matter what your experience… no matter what you are feeling… when asked how you are doing, always say, “Fine!” And the second part of the curriculum is… whenever possible – as much as possible – always smile when you say, “Fine!”

You see, you would never want anyone to know that there was anything wrong in your life or with your life, because everything is supposed to be fine. You would not want anyone to think less of you, or look down on you, or make you the object of gossip or some other inappropriate form of conversation. You wouldn’t want anyone to know that you are not strong all the time, not smart about everything, don’t always know what to do or say, aren’t in full control of your emotions or actions, You wouldn’t want anyone to know that you had failed (or were failing) at something, that you’ve made tons of mistakes in your relationships, parenting, and personal decisions. You wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea about you, so you show only certain things: the things you don’t mind people knowing/seeing. These are typically good things - in your mind - things that communicate that you really are doing just fine.

On Sunday morning in worship, six people very briefly communicated something to the rest of us that said, “I’m not fine.” That was a very powerful moment, even though it came and went very quickly. These folks were helping us become acquainted with a new ministry starting in our church that is designed to encourage people with hurts, hang-ups, and habits that contribute to their lives not being “fine”. The moment was powerful because it was a dose of reality. Though it is not the only time in the week, Sunday morning (at church) is one of the biggest smiling “I’m fine!” times in our lives. There either isn’t the time or the inclination to drop the masks that we wear. Because if we do, who knows what will happen? Someone might be shocked. Someone might be disappointed. Someone might be sad or hurt. Our reasons for feeling “fine” usually have more to do with us and our fear of embarrassment or rejection, but we certainly wouldn’t want to make someone else feel bad either.

Whatever our reasons for the limited “I’m fine” vocabulary, we hold back. I think that’s why those who shared on Sunday – and what they said - felt so powerful. It was fresh air in a stale room, life amidst death, reality in the midst of pretend, openness in a place where we tend to be comfortably closed. If I had to pick a word that described what happened and the difference I felt, it would be “vulnerability”. A few people for a brief time made themselves vulnerable, and my heart began to sing. I believe we are attracted to vulnerable people, ultimately because that’s what we would like to be. To be “vulnerable” is to be… “capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt”. So vulnerability communicates “I’m not fine!” It prefers the truth to being safe. It prefers honesty and transparency, even when it is accompanied by fear of being misunderstood or mistreated or undervalued.

One reason (of many) that Christ has given us the Church is that we might love one another. We do this by caring, by listening, by encouraging, by giving grace, by forgiving and accepting, and by praying for others who are vulnerable before us. I’m thankful for the examples on Sunday, and I pray for blessings on this ministry. But I also pray that the Holy Spirit will open up the floodgates of our hearts to one another, and for all the grace that the Lord will pour out to us in our brokenness, pain, weakness, foolishness, confusion, poor decisions, misbehaviors, and sheer stupidity. May we be givers and sharers of this same grace when our brothers and sisters let us know “I’m not fine”.

John 13:34 (NIV) ³⁴  "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Matthew 9:12-13 (NIV) ¹²  On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³  But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

1 Timothy 1:15 (NIV)  Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.

1 Timothy 1:15 (MSG)  Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof—Public Sinner Number One—

Psalm 51:17 (NIV)  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

PRAYER:  Father, thank you for the way that even my brokenness can bring you glory. Thank you for your grace to me, and that your grace gives me something to share – a testimony of your power and goodness to me, a sinner. Your grace is more than enough for everything in my life that really isn’t “fine”. Thank you for that. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott