Too Far Gone

Today's post is a little ranty... just warning you...

So I was watching an episode of One Tree Hill on Monday, and it was so good. And there was this scene where one of the characters tells her foster child that she is "unfixable." And in the end they make up and it's a super sweet scene... but it got me to thinking about all the people in life that I've called "unfixable" in my mind in the past, and how disgusting that was for me to even think about a person in that light. I will be the first to admit that I am completely unperfect. There have been times in my past that I would not blame someone for calling ME unfixable. But I look back now and though I'm not completely 'fixed' (whatever that means), I realize that I am completely grateful for those who DID take a chance to get to know me and despite my angry exterior, worked their way into my heart and life.

But that episode got me thinking about this one phrase...that I absolutely HATE. In every sense of the word, HATE. Being involved in ministry in the past, it's very easy to get discouraged at all the times that students "don't get it" or "don't do what we think they should do" or respond "fast enough" to something we're teaching them... because we're pretty sure our timing is perfect right?...wrong. But there's this one phrase that was introduced to me about 5 years ago and that is calling someone "PRECIOUS"... but not in the context of like, "that baby is precious..." or "that's a precious gemstone." It's more used in the terms of "that person sucks the energy out of you and no matter what you do, they probably still won't get it." And all of a sudden, a beautiful word of praise becomes this looming black cloud of casting someone as "unfixable" or a "tough case" and everytime you mention them, there's an eye roll and then someone mentions that that person is "just being precious." Like they're not even worth your time, or energy, or tears, or hugs, or whatever. And to that I respond... is that the way to do it? Is that really being a reflection of Christ?

Since when did we as Christians get it in our mind that we are better than anyone, that others who don't do what we do, or act as we act, or say what we say in the same way that we did, somehow matter less. That is crap!

You know what, that's not what life is about. At all. I'm pretty sure that that is NOT at all what Jesus had in mind when He called us to love one another and to bear one another's burdens, etc. But what's sick, is when it's people who claim to know and love God, and serve God call someone "precious" with such disdain... well you know what—you can know God, serve God, and love God, but if you're not loving people the way He does, and if you're using "christian code" to label others "unfixable" or viewing them as just another "tough case" instead of working that much harder to love them, with a happy heart, knowing that in the end, they are going to know that they matter, then maybe you should just stop associating yourself with Christ. Cause that's NOT what He's about. At all.

I absolutely REFUSE to call someone "Precious" or "EGR (Extra Grace Required)" or "T.C. (Too Cool)". Because you know what, I've lived that. I've been the person who needs a lot of grace. And I've been mislabeled "Too Cool" when really I just have a different matter of opinion or a different way of doing things. And calling me things like "Precious" or "EGR" or "T.C." makes me not trust you. It makes me not want to talk to you. It puts up a wall that says, "I'm not valued by that person." And that's not the way I want others to respond.

I don't believe that anyone is too far gone that they don't deserve ultimate love and respect and trust and honor. And I'm pretty sure that when God paid a price to redeem my heart and soul, He didn't think I was too far gone.