I keep reading about studies that say spending too much time with online social media can lead to depression. You see, most people present an idealized version of their lives for others to see. When we compare our ordinary, less-than-perfect lives with the carefully curated pictures of our friends, sometimes it can be a little discouraging.
As a pastor, however, I can assure you there is no such thing as a perfect family or a perfect life. Behind every flawless picture is a person just like you and me – imperfect, prone to mistakes, and sometimes unhappy. As a wise pastor once told me, “There is pain in every pew.”
The church really is a hospital for sinners. In fact, if there’s one message I’d like to tell people who’ve never been to church before, it’s this: You don’t have to get your life perfectly in order before joining us. God wants you now, just the way you are.
As you may have heard me say before, “God loves you just the way you are… but God loves you too much to let you stay there.” And, by the way, that is true for every last one of us – whether you’ve made if Facebook official, or not!