Living in a glass house pretty much sums up the life of one in the ministry!  Well, maybe that's not really fair, or others may say, "That is way too transparent!"  I really do believe that a person out in the open and up front has a greater responsibility than most people.  If I am trying to lead people to a place of peace, hope and a firm foundation in Christ, I think I should be able to not only tell them that, but I should be able to be an example.  What in the world has possessed me to write such thoughts you might ask.  Well, for many years there have been great ministers of the gospel fail because of "self" that overrode the spirit.  God certainly knows that really within ourselves  we are far from perfect, but there should be a level of maturity and self restraint, that we finally get to in our walk with Christ.  While I can't answer for other ministers, I can comment from my own point of view.  I feel as though I owe it to myself, to God, and to everyone else I minister to, to be the real me.

It's amazing what you will hear, if you truly take  the time to listen.  People have made statements about leaders, ministers and others that have failed them.  Even if it's a person that they have no real contact with, they take it personally.  For instance;  When we vote for a President of the United States, we acknowledge that person as our Nations leader, someone we respect and highly esteem.  But, if that person fails us, then it changes everything!  Our feelings; the world around us; the economy; everything is touched by the failing leader and their tainted skills.  I feel the most important thing about living is to present consistency, character and integrity, always!  There really is no excuse for lacking in who we say we are.....But saying is one thing, actually doing is another. 

We live in a world where many have succeeded in accomplishing great things, and others have failed.  But, who do we talk the most about?  It seems bad news goes around the world time and time again, when good news barely makes it around once.  What am I saying?  We as the body of Christ have a responsibility to really be real!  The world has been disappointed with great religious leaders to the point of rejecting Christ and the church completely.  I have heard people say, "No, I don't do the whole religious thing, church people are a bunch of fakes!"  The sad part of that statement is that, wow, it's true.  There are people who are not living up to the commitment they say they have made.  On Sunday, people are in church; going through the motions and then the rest of the week there's no difference in the way they live than the average sinner that has never been to church. 

This year is the year of order!  It's time to make some serious changes.  There is a world of people lost and undone without Christ and there are people that know hope, peace, love and how all of that works, yet they can't make up their mind which side of the track to run on.   If you knew that you only had 1 week left to live, what changes would you make right now?  Believe it or not, people depend on you!  They need to have someone that is real!  Who needs fake when the real is available!  God needs you even with all the weakness, failures and lack of courage that you present.  God needs you to stop pretending, take off the mask, stop trying to be someone else and just be you.  Let this year challenge you into a whole new world of reality.......the reality of what is real!  Maybe your afraid of being the real you; fearing that others may not like you as you are.  But, God knows the areas of each life that needs an overhaul.....He knows the areas that you yourself cannot not change, but He can.  The only thing you really need even right now....is confidence in yourself.  Being the real you and embracing that is the power to be free from rejection.  You will love those that love you and love those that don't.  Being the real you sets you apart from having to change to please others.....it is a freedom to say, "Hello, this is me!"

And, for me, well I have nothing to hide.  I live in that glass house!  I want to reach people by being reachable and touchable. Even with all my failures and many mistakes, I may fall down, but I know how to get back up.   I want people to say, "What you see is what you get with Shelia Isom.  I am who I am, I don't want to be anyone else.  Think about it , " Do people see the Real YOU?"