Why is it that so many of us God-loving sons and daughters have become convinced that who we are is not okay?
For too long I have struggled with a sense that I am not good enough for the God life, and I have a sneaking suspicion from conversations with others that I am not the only one.
Frequently I see people I know and love running from God because of the belief that somehow He won't be pleased with them. Somehow we have out-sinned his grace. Or we simply feel so overwhelmed at how far short we fall that we avoid Him altogether.
Where has this God-pleasing attitude come from? Because when I look at the Gospel, people ran TO Jesus not from Him. The ones who did run, were those who were full of religious pride and self righteous, judging attitudes. Jesus' simple, gracious gospel was not a good fit. It scraped away all those parts of themselves that they were counting on. Their works. Their intellect. Their position in the religious system. These were the things that filled them with pride and self satisfaction. The concept of a God who couldn't give two hoots about their accomplishments was not a good fit at all.
On the other hand, the messy, the sinful, the awkward and the outcasts were among those who sat at His table and thirstily drank up His words. They found Him to be a good fit. Full of comfort and making up abundantly for those parts of themselves that they found were lacking.
You see, in its time, the Gospel was actually considered to be a GOOD thing.
It was the mighty leveller and its emphasis shifted according to who Christ was speaking to. He warned the proud that they would be brought low. He told those who were counting on their own merits for salvation that their works were as filthy rags.
To those who were humble, honest about their failings, He gave a message of hope. They would be lifted and raised up. His grace would cover their sins and a robe of righteousness would shroud their failures.
We get it fundamentally wrong when we switch this principle. Berating ourselves for our sin, our weakness is not Godly, it's not healthy and it is NOT the Gospel of Christ. Our requirement is not sinlessness. Our requirement is simple.
Come.
Come often.
Come honestly.
Come expecting.
Father God is not freaking out over your failures. He knows them well. This Christian gig is not about getting it right. It's about adoption and the beauty of this is that the Parent is the one who assumes the responsibility for working His will in His kids.
He will guide us.
He will shape us.
He will do the work.
Don't get tricked into running, thinking you are unacceptable to God. It's one of the enemy's biggest weapons to keep you locked into guilt and avoiding the God who wants to do the work in you.
'He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.'
Luke 1:52,53
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