Get it Right

For some, this post might be like a broken record, repeating the same thing over and over again that it becomes background noise. For most, I hope this is a new way at viewing who God is, and our role as His creation.

Salvation. If you are a Christian, then you remember the moment you first asked Jesus to be your Lord ans Savior. It might be a very detailed memory, or possibly a vague yet powerful one. But here's the deal: Salvation doesn't end there. Yes, we are from then on disciples of Christ, living a new life with the purpose He designed us for. But we aren't forever perfect. In fact, we still continue to sin and miss the mark--every day.

The church wasn't designed for the "holy" and "religious" people who don't need to repent of anything. It was designed for God's people to gather, worship Him, and be unified as one body of Christ (body = church). I don't go to church because I'm a good person or it makes me a good person. I go to church because 1. I love and need Jesus and 2. Jesus needs me to love on other people that need His love. It's the purpose of the church: Love God, love people.

Here's the Catch: So, daily I'm a sinner needing to be washed and renewed by His love. Most people think that in order to come before God and even ask for forgiveness (repent), that they have to become "better" or "good enough". Here's a secret: we'll never be good enough. But that's the grace of it--God still loves us anyway. Before and after I ask Jesus to change my life, He loves me unconditionally.

And He loves me, still knowing that tomorrow, and in the future, I'm going to miss the mark again. I'm going to sin again, because I'm not perfect. But in that future, He's already forgiven me.

So then, what's the point of getting "good enough" to fall on my knees before God and ask Him to wash away my sins and help me get on track again? There is no point. We have it backwards. We don't get "good" so we can go to God, we go to God so we can get good!

Titus 3:4-7 says this: "4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."


I hope that is a relief and a revelation to you. Instead of spending your time worrying about reading your Bible enough times you feel good enough to go to church--and then going to church enough times you feel good enough to actually pray--instead just stop and sit somewhere and let God speak to you. Or you can talk to Him, He knows what you're going to say already. And all He wants is for you to go to Him.


What we can conclude: God's grace covers all of our sins, no matter how extreme, horrific, or embarrassing. And He's waiting for us to come to Him and fall at His feet in surrender. Because whether you've gotten "good enough" or not, He loves you just the same.


Again: we don't get our stuff together to go to God, we go to Him to get our stuff together. Get it right : )