For All have Sinned

I went to a birthday party for one of my youth a couple of years ago and had almost a comical experience that opened my eyes. When I arrived, the mother came out and promptly warned me that her family was "a little rough." I smiled and told her not to worry, my family was as well. My youth member's sister came by the door and gave me this quick warning, "My Grandpa cusses." I told her that was fine, I'd heard those words before. The father took the present that I had brought and leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Our family is not a church going kind of family. I'm sorry." I laughed and told him that not all my family was a church going kind of family either. I spent the rest of the party enjoying meeting the various members of the youth's family. As you might suspect from this introduction, some of them were covered in Tattoos, smelled of alcohol, and talked like sailors. They were also very kind to me as they made sure I had a seat, served me cake and ice cream, and commented on what a "fine" job I had done with the youth..... particularly the one youth member that we had all come to celebrate. It was a fine party and I had a wonderful time getting to know the family.
As I drove home, I reflected on the family and how they were a little rough, but nothing that I hadn't seen before. In fact had the youth's immediate family not made such a big deal about it, I would have never even thought about how "rough" around the edges that they were. I wondered why the family felt the need to "prepare" me to meet them. They obviously loved their family "rough" or not. So, why was the meeting so uncomfortable for them?
Overtime, I've had several of the same type of meeting with various members of the youth's family and/or friends. They each prepare me for the worst in the person that I am going to meet. I've come to realize it is more about how they see me rather than how they feel about the person. They love that person faults or not. They see me as someone who teaches them not to sin and to do right. Therefore, I must be without sin. ..... well, we all know that isn't true.

Romans 3:23 -"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

I have sinned. ..... a lot.... I've lied, I've cheated, I've been drunk, I've coveted, I've dishonored my parents, I've put things before God, I've stolen things, I've had impure thoughts, I've cursed, and this is probably just a small part of all the things that I have done that I continue to teach you not to do. Yes, I'm a hypocrite. ... First step is admission right?

Pat Summit is the coach for the Lady Vols basketball team. She played basketball for some college in middle Tennessee back 40 years ago. Now, she has the most wins of any coach in basketball history. She wasn't the basketball player with the most wins.... she was a coach with the most wins.

I don't know if Coach Summit could ever dunk a basketball, but she has players that can. She never played professionally, but she has players that do. Her job is not to make a bunch of "mini" Pat Summits. Her job is to make a winning basketball team.

God has given me a job. I usually feel completely unworthy to do it because I sin almost every day. Not because I don't know right from wrong. Sometimes I just make the wrong choice and justify it at the time. I realized a long time ago, it isn't my job to make all of my youth members "mini Melissa's" Its my job to make a youth program that shares God's message. I'm not perfect.

You are not perfect. Nor will you ever be perfect. You will sin. You will make the wrong decision knowing that it is the wrong decision. You will fall down. It doesn't matter.

See, It isn't about how we fall down. It is about how we get up. Coach Summit has lost games. She has made bad decisions. Yet, she has the most Wins of any Coach of Basketball History and that is how we will remember her. In the same way, I sin everyday, yet you each introduce me as your Youth Director. As someone that is in touch with God and knows right from wrong just because I still get up and come and teach you anyway. .... sins and all.

We sin. We all sin. Do we all get up or do we wallow in our sins?