I was working with AI to help me develop this blog, and at one point it gave me a summary of my writing style. One phrase caught my attention: “Honest rather than formal.”

I liked that. I think that describes how I try to write and, honestly, how I try to live.

I don’t want my writing to sound like I have everything figured out. I don’t want to hide behind big words or religious language. I want to be honest about life. The good, the bad, the successes, the failures, the questions, and the things God is still teaching me.

Maybe that is why I appreciate the Bible so much. The Bible is remarkably honest.

It tells us about David’s victories, but also his failures. It tells us about Peter’s boldness, but it also tells us about his denial. It tells us about the disciples’ faith, but it also shows their doubts and misunderstandings.

The Bible doesn’t airbrush people. And neither should we.

Sometimes I think Christians feel like we have to present a polished version of ourselves. We know what we are supposed to say. We know how we are supposed to act. We know what a “good Christian” is supposed to look like.

But there is something powerful about simply being honest. Honesty doesn’t mean celebrating our failures or making excuses for our sin. It means we stop pretending we don’t have any.

Jesus never asked people to pretend.

So, “honest rather than formal.”

That’s how I want to write. More importantly, that’s how I want to live.

Social media rewards people for views, likes, followers, comments, and shares.

The result is not a quest for the truth, but for something that attracts attention. Post something controversial online that no one else is saying or believing, and it will get liked and shared repeatedly. Weirdly, traditional orthodox views are ignored, and unorthodox ideas are perpetuated across the internet.

It is an apt reminder that when something attracts lots of attention, it is usually because it is abnormal. Out-of-the-ordinary views of scripture and religion have always existed, but now we reward those views monetarily.

The New Testament continually warns us to be on guard against “Wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Well, I would add, “and social media is where they like to attack.”  

I noticed something about myself the other morning. Before I’d prayed a single word or opened my Bible, I’d already checked my phone, scrolled past a dozen stories, and let my mind run ahead into the day’s to-do list. God hadn’t gotten a moment of my attention before my day really started.

We live in a world that’s very good at getting to us first. Every day, something is competing for our attention. Our phones. Social media. Sports. Work. Money. Politics. Entertainment. Hobbies. Our kids. Our schedules.

None of those things are necessarily bad.

But even good things can become a problem when they begin taking the place that belongs to God.

Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.”

First.

That is the key.

God doesn’t want to be squeezed into whatever time we have left over. He doesn’t want to be the first thing we think about only when life falls apart. He wants to be first in our lives.

So maybe the question isn’t simply, “Do I believe in God?”

Maybe the better question is: “What gets my attention?”

Because what gets our attention eventually gets our time. And what gets our time often gets our heart.

Jesus didn’t say, “Seek my kingdom when you get around to it.” He said, “Seek first.”

Maybe today is a good day to take an honest look at what has been getting our attention and make sure God hasn’t been pushed to the back of the line.

That is an estimate of how many mistakes I have made in the sermons I have preached.

Some came from a lack of theology. When I started, I had read the Bible, but I hadn’t connected the dots, so I said things that seemed correct but were mistaken.

Most came from a lack of experience. In my ministry, I have bounced between thinking people are good and thinking people are basically evil with each new season and how I was being treated. There was also a time when I thought I knew all about parenting, and then I had children. In the early years, I was convinced I knew the best Church leadership practices and how I was to conduct myself as a preacher, only to find a better approach later.

With each new year, I have gained more knowledge and life experience that shows me how foolish I was in my youth. When I sat down and counted them up, I have preached on Sunday mornings roughly 1,716 times. Each time I am sure I said at least one stupid thing.

I know one day I will look back at what I say this Sunday and think, “Ugh.”

Yet God chooses to work through my mistakes. He takes what I lack in knowledge and experience and makes up for it with his Holy Spirit. God uses my imperfect words to accomplish his perfect will.

God doesn’t wait for you to be flawless before He uses you. He will use you despite your imperfections. God is bigger than your faults, and his power is made perfect in weakness.

I have ceased to be amazed at how the media portrays Christians. Watch any movie, TV show, or streaming series, and whenever a follower of Jesus appears, they are usually a nut case. They are portrayed as hypocritical, greedy, mean, abusive, or sometimes downright evil.

They rarely show the Christians who volunteer hours at hospitals, soup kitchens, food pantries, and homeless shelters. And when they do, those Christians are often portrayed as simpletons who have lost touch with reality.

One obstacle we face when sharing our faith is the popular image of Christians in our culture. And most of the time, we overcome that image without saying a word. You will never talk someone into believing you are one of the good Christians. You show them by showing up, giving selflessly, putting others first, and letting your light shine through your actions.

When you live for God, you may sometimes be branded a crazy religious person. If so, be like the people we find in the Bible, and not the caricatures we see on the shows we watch.