{Be Confident} When Community Breaks Your Heart

I made the mistake of turning the TV on.

I know, I know, I should have been content with Netflix, but I closed my computer and turned the TV on anyway.

I’m not one to watch the news- don’t get me wrong, I think it’s SUPA important to stay informed, but every time I watch it, my heart agonizes and breaks.

Images from the national news station played across the screen as **breaking news** stories revealed themselves in subtitles and violent imagery.

The world constantly reveals the condition of itself.

It’s broken.  People are constantly pitting against each other.  Selfishness seems to be the only thing that stands out.  Everyone wants to be noticed, seen, glorified.  They’re dying to prove they’re right, and their way is THE way.

The TV was only on for a few moments, but even that was far too long.

If only they all knew Jesus.

My heart whispered the thought.  And then my thoughts whispered a name….

Judas.

Judas knew Jesus, but he didn’t let knowing Jesus change him.

Judas was a disciple of Jesus.  He did everyday life with Jesus and eleven other men.  They traveled together as Jesus taught in towns, healed in villages, and proclaimed the gospel to everyone who would listen.

But when it was all said and done, Judas betrayed Jesus.  His betrayal lead to Jesus’ death on the cross.

Often, I forget the humanity of Christ.  I forget the fact that he walked this earth as a human man. He had feelings.  Things made him laugh, things led him to feel compassion, things hurt him…. things broke his heart…

A lot of times we think that if we’re in the right crowds, saying the right things, surrounded by the right people, things will work out better for us.

It’s all in who you know.

Surround yourself with better people, and you’ll become a better person, right?

I’m not sure I believe that anymore. In fact, as I type this, I can’t believe that anymore.  As long as people are human, they will let us down and break out hearts.  Broken things break things and this world is full of broken people.

Jesus did not surround himself with “better people”- he couldn’t- he was the BEST person.  You can’t get better than the best.  In fact, Jesus didn’t even surround himself with the people that were a “good influence”.  No… He surrounded himself with humans -everyday, regular guys.  They sinned, they let him down, they did things that broke Jesus’ heart.  And what did Jesus do?

He made the daily decision to love them in spite of themselves.

And then there’s Judas…..

Judas did daily life with a man who knew God the Father intimately.  He knew Jesus and how he did life.  He watched Jesus heal men, women and children.  He knew things about Jesus that others never did, they were in community with each other each and every day for years.  Judas did everyday life with the most perfect man who ever walked the earth.

Judas was surrounded by the best person, but it didn’t change his heart.

There’s something to be learned here, something really significant.

See, its not about who you know and it’s not about who knows you.  It’s about knowing who God is.

See, Judas knew Jesus.  But he didn’t know Jesus as God.

When we know who God is, humanity doesn’t effect us like it used to.  We learn to love people, in spite of their sin stained selves.  Yes, people can still break our hearts, and hurt our feelings… but they can’t break our spirit.  For, as long as we live in this world we will see the stains of sin and we will sin.  But, when we know who God is, we can’t help but let him change us.  We long to be more like him.  Suddenly we see that through knowing who God is, the stains of sin are covered and drowned in grace.

It doesn’t matter who we surround ourselves with, all that matters is we live life knowing that the people in our lives are going to break our hearts, they’re going to let us down.

And when they do, what are we going to do about it?

My prayer is that I drench others in the grace that has been poured out on me.

xo

AnnaFilly