Am I Not Holy Enough?”

The Lie of the ‘Perfect Christian’ on Social Media

Lately, I’ve been thinking deeply about the quiet, constant pressure in many faith communities: the unspoken rule that a true Christian’s life should only be shared in a clean, polished, happy highlight reel. We are often led to believe that our faith is only strong if our life looks easy, quiet, and scandal-free.

The suggestion is that we shouldn’t post about our genuine hardships and struggles because “it doesn’t look good.”

But what exactly is supposed to look good? Am I here to audition for a role as a saint, or am I here to be a genuinely broken, yet deeply loved, living testimony?

My Goal Is Not Perfection, It’s Proof

Let me be absolutely clear: I am not trying to look perfect or holy.

I know the true cost of human struggle. I was once a runaway, homeless, and broken for years. My survival and journey to where I am today were not powered by my own flawless effort; they were powered by His Grace. I feel, in my very bones, the truth of this belief: I am human and I came from nothing and continue to be nothing without God.

This core conviction is exactly why I must share the tough stuff. The moment I only post about sunshine and answered prayers, I’m sending a dangerous message: that I am strong enough. That I am good enough. But that’s a lie.

The reality is, the messes, the scars, and the moments of struggle are the only things that truly authenticate the power of God in a life.

If I hide the battle, I cheapen the victory.
If I hide the low point, I imply I got through it on my own steam.
If I pretend I haven’t messed up or wrestled with doubt, I become an idol for others to envy, not a witness for them to follow.

The people who need to hear my story aren’t the ones who believe faith should be flawless; they’re the ones still sleeping on the streets, or the ones fighting just to hold it together in the morning. They need to see a path that starts in the dirt and still ends in grace.

Hardship Is Not a DownfallIt’s the Testimony

When we feel pressured to stop posting our “downfalls,” we are being asked to compromise our personal authenticity for someone else’s comfort. They want a sanitized Jesus who only works in clean places.

But the Christian life is not about avoiding the hospital; it’s about showcasing the healing that takes place there.

The hardship I have faced is not a flaw on my record; it’s the launchpad for my resilience. It gave me the lived experience and the wisdom that the “perfect” Christian doesn’t have. It is the only way I can genuinely encourage someone else who is currently sitting in the ashes.

My social media is not a resume for sainthood. It’s a journal of a human being who has been broken and is being rebuilt by a very real, very present God. And the honesty of that journey is the only true witness I have to offer.

Finding Grace for the Misunderstanding

It’s important to remember that the advice to hide our struggles is often driven by a genuine, if misguided, desire to protect the image of the church. People aren’t trying to be cruel; they are simply operating with the belief that a good testimony must be a polished one.

But that belief is the very thing that makes people feel invisible.

My commitment is to the community that needs honest hope, the people who won’t come to church until they see someone standing on the platform who has stood where they are now. We can still operate in grace and love towards those who hold the “perfect image” standard, but we cannot sacrifice truth to meet it.

Spilling the Tea on Salvation: My hardships aren’t gossip; they are grace. What part of your difficult, but powerful, story have you been afraid to share, but know someone else truly needs to hear today?