Growing up I felt petrified to speak to my 'cool' older cousins, let alone tell them my opinion, because I thought I didn't measure up. One cousin in particular would frequently scold me for saying "I guess" after every sentence. But I couldn't help it! The reality was I didn't feel good enough. I thought that once I had gotten into college, started driving, or just even grew taller, I would finally be good enough to be part of the conversation. That's the level at which I placed them in my mind. They were completely out of my league.
How much more do we hold God in that esteem? He is Creator of the universe, the Alpha and Omega, Holy, and perfect in power and truth, just to name a few qualities. It is unimaginable to then to think that THIS God wants a relationship with you and me. I start to question how can I even enter His presence and speak with Him.
It’s easy to think that we aren't good enough to approach Him or that we have to do something or meet some minimum requirement before we are worthy. But Jesus shows us again and again that we should not believe in this lie. Paul writes in Romans 5:8 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The decision to show mercy and grace wasn't made after we made some type of promise or showed some type of potential. It was while we were still sinners that we were made perfect in His love and not by anything that we can ever do.
It is just as you are that Christ loves you. He loves you despite knowing what you have done and what you will do. Nothing on your end can change the power of His love. Nothing kept Jesus from eating at the home of a tax collector, touching and healing a leper, or drinking water from the woman at the well. These individuals were labeled by society and themselves as unworthy but nothing could hinder them from the love of Christ. Sometimes we feel there are things that stand between us and God, but we have a Holy God that was willing to be broken in order to bridge the gap through the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus wants you to come just as you are so that He can make you just as you were intended to be.
Just as I am, Your love unknown
Has broken every barrier down.
Now to be Yours, yes, Yours alone,
O Lamb of God I come, I come.
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