I hate the way my body works sometimes. I know I’m supposed to love my body because God made it. And someplace, in the very back of my mind, I know I’m supposed to love myself so I can love others.
However, today I don’t feel the self-love.
I tried to conserve my energy today, so I could have enough strength to get through class. Then, an hour before class, my body started to twitch, causing me pain.
So, no class for me.
Even though the professor eventually cancelled the course, I still felt like an abysmal failure.
Usually when I’m in a moment like this, the “Christians” around me tend to rely on the same-old, same-old. They encourage me to look on the positive side of things. They don’t offer comfort, they don’t offer understanding, they instead start quoting verses (which ultimately makes me feel like I’m a bad Christian for having negative feelings about the situation I’m in) and then proceed to tell me that it is all “for the best”.
Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com
After a while, that same-old, same-old gets stale.
If you’re in my shoes, with a truckload of issues and suffering from your childhood, some of which still continues to this day, this rhetoric is the last thing you want to hear. It doesn’t empower your struggle, and instead feels like I way to get you to shut up and stop talking.
It’s kind of like “pray the gay away”, except, this time it’s “pray the sorrow/sickness/pain away”.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
So to all Christians I say the following. The next time you hear someone talking about problems or struggles in their life do the following:
1)Listen to them.
2)Shut up and listen to them.
3)Offer gentle words.
4)Be compassionate.
5)Mourn with them. (We’re called to mourn with those who mourn, remember?)
6)Don’t talk about how this is all part of God’s plan. Nobody with schizophrenia or Cancer needs to hear how this is all for God’s glory or how they’ll come out of their trial with a greater understanding of the universe. It makes God seem sadistic, cruel and apathetic.
7)Offer them help. (Did a child in your church tell you they were being abused? Offer them a place to stay and raise them as your own.)
And for those of you who choose to ignore the above suggestions, don’t worry, I’m sure Jesus will be more than understanding when you tell Him you did your best and quoted the most excellent verses for the given situation.
Not.
As Christians, we’re supposed to be God’s first and last line of defense against the powers of darkness. So, leave no man behind and give your fallen brothers and sisters the encouragement needed to stand up and fight.
As for me, I’m still in a dark place, so let’s play some fitting music.
Goth Film Critic for Christ 