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Whitewashed Christianity

Whitewashed Christianity

Heather Hart · March 28, 2022 · 54 Comments

I walked into church Easter morning feeling more like a whitewashed tomb than a temple of the Living God.

Have you ever felt like that?

Pretty on the outside, but just full of junk on the inside?

It seems like the older I get, the less I enjoy holidays. Going to church on Sunday is just what we do. It felt pretty normal. Sure, we ate breakfast with our church family, and the kids had an egg hunt. Our pastor preached about the resurrection. But all in all, it felt like a pretty normal day.

Which made me feel even worse on the inside.

Does Easter ever feel like just another day? If so, it's not just you… Click To Tweet

I looked around and saw all the people in their beautiful Easter clothes and wondered how many felt the same way I did. I wondered if I was the only one who had failed to stand in awe and celebrate deep within my soul.

This was the day we celebrated the cornerstone of our faith. Jesus died for our sins, but He didn’t stop there. He rose to give us new life.

And yet, my mind was a million different places.

Have you ever felt more like a whitewahsed tomb than a temple of the living God?

I believe the message of Easter to the very core of my being, but sometimes life is hard. It weighs on me. I let the stress of it pollute my soul.

But that’s why I am so thankful for the message of Easter.

The Message of Easter

Even while I was sitting in church feeling like a whitewashed tomb, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the only tomb that really matters is the tomb of Jesus. And while my tomb might be full of decay, His was found empty.

Jesus died because He knew we would never be perfect. He died because He knew we could never live a life free from sin. Because the wages of sin is death, He died because He knew we would need a Savior.

And then He rose.

He rose so we could live. So we could be free from the chains of sin. So that we could have a life full of hope.

Jesus died and rose for us. For me and for you.

Related Post: What Good Friday Means To Me

His death and resurrection aren’t dependent on our feelings, they are unchanging facts. He is a rock that isn’t swayed when we have bad days. When we get stressed out, He remains the same.

That’s the message I needed reminded of Easter morning.

Easter isn't a feeling, it's a fact.

I needed reminded that even when I’m feeling whitewashed, the truth of the gospel doesn’t change.

Whitewashed Christianity

Christians aren’t perfect. I tend to be brutally honest about my failures because I don’t want to be whitewashed. I don’t want someone to look at me and think I have it all together, because the truth of it is that I get through most days each day by the grace of God.

While I might manage to dress up in high heels and make it to church on time (sometimes), those things aren’t what make me a Christian. We can’t put on a “good Christian” mask or slip on “Christianity shoes” and be okay. True Christianity comes from the cross.

Jesus died and rose for us - His death and resurrection aren't dependent on our feelings, they are unchanging facts. #GiveMeJesus

Romans 10:9 (ESV) says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

That’s what Christianity is about. It’s not about having a good day every day. It’s not about celebrating Easter on a certain day in a specific way. Christianity isn’t about wearing the right clothes, saying the right words, or doing the right things. It’s about Jesus.

One Important Difference

I guess I’m learning that the world is full of whitewashed Christians. But they are firmly separated into two different groups. Those that look like Christians on the outside, but have hearts that are far from Jesus. And those who look like Christians on the outside, but are still dealing with a bunch of junk on the inside, even though they are head over heels in love with Jesus.

One type of whitewashed Christianity will lead to Hell, the other is probably more common than we know. Both types of Christians need Jesus, whether they realize it or not.

So while I didn’t “feel” like I celebrated Easter well this year, I can rest well knowing the gospel remains the same. My feelings don’t dictate reality.

He is risen.

Do you ever feel more like a whitewashed tomb than a temple of the living God? Click To Tweet

*Originally posted April 17th, 2017

Related Resource For Christian Women

To become fluent in a new language, you must immerse yourself in it until you actually start to think about life through it. Becoming fluent in the gospel happens the same way―after believing it, we have to intentionally rehearse it (to ourselves and to others) and immerse ourselves in its truths. Only then will we start to see how everything in our lives, from the mundane to the magnificent, is transformed by the hope of the gospel.  That’s the thinking behind Gospel Fluency.

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About Heather Hart

Heather Hart is an internationally best-selling and award-winning author with an unquenchable passion for Jesus. Life with four fun-filled teens doesn’t always provide the quiet atmosphere her introverted personality and chronic migraines crave, but she loves them all like crazy and the gospel is a balm for her soul. Heather’s hope is that, while she is struggling through this thing called life, she is pointing others towards Jesus along the way.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amy Christensen says

    April 17, 2017 at 11:07 am

    I know what you mean Heather! I had a really bad day on Saturday and on Sunday it was very hard to focus on what the day was all about. But God is so faithful. He knows our frame and knows our struggles and doubts. We don’t have to pretend with Him. He already gets us! Thanks for being honest. It always helps to know we are not alone.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 17, 2017 at 1:38 pm

      Amen. I’m so thankful we don’t have to fake it with Jesus.

      Reply
  2. Laura Rath says

    April 17, 2017 at 11:38 am

    Oh my, Heather, this is just how I’ve been feeling! I tried writing about it last week, but decided it was more for me to process, than to post. I wasn’t feeling Easter-y, like the ads for new spring dresses and shoes portray. But feeling Easter-y in the empty tomb way is what matters. Not sure I’m successfully getting my thoughts into words here, but love your post! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 17, 2017 at 1:40 pm

      Yes, Laura. I so get that. I love Jesus, and I’m thankful for the cross, but I just didn’t feel very Easter-y this year.

      Reply
  3. Andrea says

    April 17, 2017 at 1:26 pm

    I think sometimes everybody goes thru times like that

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 17, 2017 at 1:40 pm

      I think you’re right, Andrea. Probably more often than we’d like to admit.

      Reply
  4. Erin Crissman says

    April 17, 2017 at 2:43 pm

    I love what you said about honesty and people thinking more than what is the reality! But the beauty is that no one has it all together and we all have to survive on the grace of Jesus! Great post!

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 17, 2017 at 2:45 pm

      Thanks, Erin! It really is all about Jesus.

      Reply
  5. Jaime Hampton says

    April 17, 2017 at 6:06 pm

    “Easter isn’t a feeling…it’s a fact.”
    I so love this! Thank you for this post, Heather.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 18, 2017 at 8:26 am

      Thanks for your encouragement, Jaime!

      Reply
  6. Terri says

    April 17, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    Been there done that.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 18, 2017 at 8:29 am

      I think we all go through it at some point, Terri. Thanks for stopping in.

      Reply
  7. Sheila Qualls says

    April 17, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    How honest. Thanks. “Easter isn’t a feeling; it’s a fact.” Too many times I get caught up in the harriedness of the day and overlook the importance of it. Like Christmas, it becomes a do-to list and not a true celebration. I kind of felt the same way this year. We moved Easter week, 3 of our kids weren’t home. It didn’t feel “Eastery.” I, too, am thankful my feelings don’t dictate reality.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 18, 2017 at 8:27 am

      Yes! Praying you get settled into your new home soon. Moving is both exciting and exhausting.

      Reply
  8. Robbie @ Use Resources Wisely says

    April 18, 2017 at 8:07 pm

    I am so grateful that even on the tough days we can just be. I was worried because my son was ina funk and my husband in pain but really we were all together at church for the first time in a long time and perhaps a seed was planted that day

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 20, 2017 at 7:59 am

      It can be so hard for us moms to let go and just be, can’t it? So thankful Jesus gets us.

      Reply
  9. Kristi says

    April 19, 2017 at 12:29 am

    I have had Easter moments like that and am so thankful that our love for Christ isn’t based on feelings!

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 20, 2017 at 7:59 am

      Amen!

      Reply
  10. Jenna says

    April 19, 2017 at 9:54 am

    Heather, thank you for being bold enough to preach this message! It reminds me of the book Not A Fan. So many people think Christianity is following a set of rituals, like you mentioned above, when the Bible tells us it means our death and–through Christ–our resurrection. Easter is SO full of powerful reminders, and it’s encouraging to be reminded that it is not a light thing. I found you on the Women 2 Women linkup! 🙂

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 20, 2017 at 8:00 am

      Thanks for stopping by, Jenna. Love that book by Kyle Idleman.

      Reply
  11. Debbie Wilson says

    April 19, 2017 at 10:51 am

    “Easter isn’t a feeling. It’s a fact.” Amen. We walk by faith and not by sight. Thank you, Heather, for your candid thoughts.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 20, 2017 at 8:01 am

      Thanks for stopping in and for your encouragement, Debbie.

      Reply
  12. Lo Tanner | lotanner.com says

    April 19, 2017 at 11:03 am

    I think every Christian carries a little bit of brokenness with them. It’s what keeps us compassionate and lets God’s grace, mercy, and strength speak through our lives.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 20, 2017 at 8:04 am

      Yes! I think we need to be broken to remember the importance of the gospel. If we start to think we have it all together, we’ll start to think we can do it all on our own.

      Reply
  13. Tracy says

    April 19, 2017 at 1:33 pm

    Heather, your question about being more a whitewashed tomb than a temple of the Living God really struck home with me. Just as Jesus cleansed the temple and removed the money changers, so I need to do the same. I need to make a place for my God to inhabit if I want to know Him personally. I want Him to have a place that is clean, yet it is He who does the cleaning. It is I who must submit to the process. Thank you for a word picture I can hang on to.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 20, 2017 at 8:06 am

      Thank you, Tracy, for your encouragement. It’s so important to let Jesus be the “house cleaner” of our heart. I love THAT word picture.

      Reply
  14. Becky Hastings says

    April 21, 2017 at 6:37 am

    It’s so easy to feel this way, isn’t it Heather? I’ve been in church and looked around me wondering how these people were feeling so much when I felt nothing. I understood. I believed. But church had become another thing on my to-do list (and Lord knows I didn’t need one more thing on that list!)

    I don’t have a neat, pretty answer to this one. I think telling God those feelings and just pressing in anyway. Waiting for the feelings to catch up. Telling God how much I need Him to meet me in that place. And sometimes it’s over and over again.

    So glad to share hearts here <3

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 21, 2017 at 8:44 am

      Thanks, Becky. Sometimes it helps just knowing we aren’t alone. That, and remembering that facts are more important than feelings. Feelings come and go, but what Jesus did for us is eternal.

      Reply
  15. Aimee Imbeau says

    April 27, 2017 at 11:46 am

    I’ve had people tell me that “I have it all together” – and it’s not that I am trying to portray that facade at all – but I think that this is just another reason why we need to share our stories of faith with others. Then they can see what we’ve been through to get where we are. And that we should not just assume things about people…
    Thanks for sharing on Grace and Truth – always a joy to read your content.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      April 27, 2017 at 12:07 pm

      I actually hear that comment from people more often than you would think, and it’s funny, because I don’t feel like that at all. But it’s definetly a good way to point people to Jesus. Thanks for stopping in, Aimee – love your link up!

      Reply
  16. Ivy says

    May 25, 2017 at 7:50 am

    Love that: “my feelings don’t dictate reality”.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      May 25, 2017 at 8:50 am

      Yes! It’s such a simple but profound truth!

      Reply
  17. Heather says

    June 2, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    Remembering the messages of the scriptures really does offer a lot of perspective during these vulnerable moments. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    Reply
  18. Debbie Erickson says

    March 22, 2018 at 6:45 pm

    What an awesome post, Heather! I’m sure you pricked some hearts.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      March 28, 2018 at 9:14 am

      Thanks, Debbie

      Reply
  19. andrea says

    March 28, 2018 at 9:10 am

    All of us have moments like that, I think – but what’s important is that we need to be aware of them

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      March 28, 2018 at 9:15 am

      Yes! It’s all about where our heart is.

      Reply
  20. Melissa says

    March 28, 2018 at 10:06 am

    It is such an awesome reminder that no matter what I am dealing or struggling with, the gospel doesn’t change! Jesus is, was, and always will be our Lord and Savior!

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      March 28, 2018 at 11:05 am

      Amen!

      Reply
  21. Alysha says

    March 28, 2018 at 1:18 pm

    I constantly have to chose to believe God’s truths over my feelings. You are not alone in this!

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      March 28, 2018 at 3:07 pm

      Amen! I am so thankful God never leaves us to walk alone!

      Reply
  22. Amy Christensen says

    March 28, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    He is risen, indeed! I love this Heather. Right now my husband and I are not even attending a church regularly. You are so right, life is hard and often it beats us down, over and over, but Jesus is still the same, yesterday, today and forever and that is what I stand on. That foundation is unmovable and because of that, I maybe be dealing with all my junk on the inside, but I still want to be used by the Master. Thanks so much for this encouraging post. Happy Easter! – Amy

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      March 29, 2018 at 9:35 am

      Amen! God is so good. Happy Easter, Amy.

      Reply
  23. Alice Mills says

    March 29, 2018 at 9:56 am

    It took me a while to realize how dangerous Pharisees were. But a genuine Christian may make mistakes but they have the humity to ask for forgiveness and seek reconciliation.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      March 29, 2018 at 10:01 am

      Absolutely. It’s all about our hearts.

      Reply
  24. Sheila Schweiger-Rhodes says

    March 29, 2018 at 2:31 pm

    After suffering from my heart attack in December and my mom who is dying this year feels so different. I have never been more grateful for the cross and the redemption Christ has given to me, but trust me I have been where you were. Masks can be very effective, but eventually, we have to take them off. It is funny how the enemy always wants you to believe you are the only one who has ever felt this way, so we hesitate in sharing because it makes us vulnerable, but instead, it makes us strong because there is power in numbers and freedom in truth!

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      September 25, 2018 at 8:25 am

      Yes and amen!! There is freedom to be found in speaking truth, especially when it makes us vulnerable.

      Reply
  25. Jessica Briggs says

    September 25, 2018 at 3:25 pm

    I have felt like both at different times in my life. I love Easter, I try each year to celebrate it with humility and reverence, I am who I am and have what I have because of Jesus.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      September 26, 2018 at 8:19 am

      Yes! So very, very true.

      Reply
  26. Mary Leigh says

    September 25, 2018 at 9:29 pm

    I appreciate your point about being aware that your feelings do not dictate what is real. This is something that I always try to remember!

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      September 26, 2018 at 8:19 am

      Thanks, Mary!

      Reply
  27. Bethany Rose says

    September 26, 2018 at 3:18 pm

    I appreciate you sharing your heart! I think we all feel like this at some times.

    Reply
    • Heather Hart says

      September 26, 2018 at 4:37 pm

      I think you’re right!

      Reply
  28. Melanin Wear says

    September 30, 2018 at 12:26 pm

    Informative and interesting Blog! Beautifully written, as usual, I like the post. Thank you so much for nice sharing with us. Keep posting!

    Reply

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