Come As You Are

Like I mentioned yesterday, God has been teaching me so much recently.  He really seems to like to use my kids to get to my own heart issues.  Isn't that the way it is?  We think we see something wrong with someone else, but then God points out that it's not really their problem, but yours.

A couple of weeks ago we were getting ready for church.  There was the normal rushing around for breakfast, brushing teeth, and getting ready.  Some where in there I told the boys to get dressed "for church."  Most you know what that means.  Wear nice clothes.

Well, my oldest boy came in my room wearing athletic shorts and a t-shirt.  I looked at him and said, "I told you to get dressed for church.  We don't dress like that for church.  Put on something nice."  His response, "Does God really care what I wear to church?"  No.  No he doesn't.

 And then it hit me.  I'm teaching my kids that they have to clean themselves up before they can come to God.  I'm teaching them that they have to fix themselves before God will accept them.  That is so wrong!  Why am I teaching them such a lie?  Well, because somewhere deep in my heart that is what I believe.

I believe that God lives in a constant state of disappointment with me.  That there is no way I will ever measure up and that when he looks at me he must shake his head and say, "What was I thinking when I chose her?"  Y'all that is so messed up.  That's not what the bible teaches at all.

Romans 3:21-26 teaches us that we are all sinners.  Every single one of us.  We can't change that.  Because of Adam we were born into sin (Romans 5:12), but through Jesus we are made righteous (Romans 5:19).  When God looks at me he sees the righteousness of Jesus.  He loves me.  He's not disappointed in me.

When my boy come to me with something they've messed up I don't love them less.  I don't ask them to be perfect before they ask me for help.  I love them so much.  I want to help them.  I want them to bring me their messes.  I want to be a part of helping them work things out.  God is the same way.  When we come to him with all of our junk he wants to help us.  Because he knows that without him we have no hope anyway.

I don't want to teach my kids that God will only love and accept them if they're perfect. I want them to know that God chose them even in their imperfection, because he knows our righteousness only comes through him.  The only way I can teach this to them is if I believe it myself.

**And no, these pictures don't really have anything to do with this post.  They're from our hike a couple of weeks ago, and I just wanted to share them.**