heavy loads

I think there’s a thing I’ve done as a Christian, and sometime Christian leader, that I shouldn’t have. I’ve probably done the same thing as a dad and a boss: I’ve loaded people down with my expectations.

Here’s how Jesus put it, talking about the religious leaders in Matthew 23:4: “‘They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.’”

That’s what we do as a church when we expect people to do things that Jesus never expected. When we expect perfect marriages, and strong biblical knowledge, and generous giving and selfless service, with a certain kind of wardrobe and behavior, all while being cheerful and unruffled and treating everyone with kindness and respect. From everyone, all of the time.

Frankly, we expect impossible things. We expect things from others that we don’t do ourselves. And when we do that, we make our religion impossible, and faith something that only angels can actually attain. It all becomes burdensome.

I don’t want to be that way. I want to give people permission to be who they really are. To be who I am: a struggling sinner who just wants to get more right today than I did yesterday.