On Sin

There are a lot of things about me that culture deems as negative. I hate mornings. I like to talk a lot. I’m a firm believer that we can always do better, so I challenge people and things and ideas. I’m comically bad at memorizing scripture. I like pineapple on pizza. ⁣
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These are all things that, at one point or another, I’ve been made to feel shame around. The kicker? Not one of those things is a sin. ⁣
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I could write about this shift in perspective all day long, but here’s the thing that we can’t afford to miss: We have got to stop calling people out on things that are counter-culture under the guise of being counter-Jesus. ⁣
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If we’re going to be a people that trusts that⁣
* the Lord created us in His own image and called it very good (Genesis 1:27-31)⁣
* the Lord knows us intimately (Psalm 139:1-4)⁣
* the Lord has a plan and a purpose for us (Jeremiah 29:11)⁣
then we need to be a people that trusts that He made us exactly as we are for a reason. ⁣
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The enneagram 8 in me is all for calling people higher — but it’d probably be good to know what Jesus actually said before we do. ⁣
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And then when we do? What an incredible opportunity to invite people into freedom, rather than shame, about exactly who God made them to be. To spur each other on. To speak Truth. And to be the first to say: ⁣
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That’s not a sin. Shame off you.