Come As You Are!

Come As You Are!

One of the most amazing things about Jesus is that he invites everybody to come to him. Everybody. And as we are. We don’t need to wash our hands and get our act together before approaching Jesus. The most important thing is to run into the arms of Jesus as he is calling us:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”(Matthew 11:28, MSG)

Jesus wants us to keep company with him. He wants to show us how to live in grace. He wants to teach us the unforced rhythms of grace. I don’t know about you but I want to keep on learning to live freely and lightly. Anything and everything else has lost its meaning.

“Come as you are” also applies to our prayer life. We don’t need or we should not bring ready-made solutions to God. We should just run to Jesus with our heart wide open and our hands as dirty as they are. “Dear God, my life is a mess! Please, do something!”

Ole Kristian Hallesby guides us this way: “Listen, my friend! Your helplessness is your best prayer. It calls from your heart to the heart of God with greater effect than all your uttered pleas. He hears it from the very moment that you are seized with helplessness, and He becomes actively engaged at once in hearing and answering the prayer of your helplessness.”

Come as you are, God is waiting. It doesn’t matter how massive of a mess you’ve made. It doesn’t matter how impossible everything looks to you. It doesn’t matter how unworthy you feel. God loves you. He is waiting for you his arms wide open. Don’t wait to pray until you’re more presentable. Bring your mess to God now. He can’t wait to hear from you. He can’t wait to help you out. Just ask. With or without words. Just as you are.

Gracious God,
We come to you as we are.
Thank you for issuing a standing invitation
for everyone.
You are just what we need:
lovingkindness, peace and love.
Wash our hands,
make us whole,
help us out.
Thank you so much!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: What does make you to delay your prayers/approaching God?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you run to God as you are! We have an awesome God! He wants us to keep company with him!

Photo courtesy of Esther Gibbons

6 thoughts on “Come As You Are!

  1. I like how you expressed how approachable Jesus is—this is so true! The One through whom all things were made wants to have a personal relationship with each of us—face to face. Everyone needs to understand how possible this is!

    Our Father in heaven is in all places at once. Moment by moment, anything in creation that happens, He sees it happen. Each sparrow that falls, each baby born, each star that dies—He knows all of the stories, start to finish.

    Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, wants to have close fellowship with each of us. Not only were each of us made to glorify the Lord—we were made to participate with the Son of God.

  2. Thank you, Nick, for sharing your faith-filled thoughts. It fills my heart with joy to know our God is personal, loving and caring. Stay blessed!

  3. You have explained it so plainly and beautifully. Yes, Jesus wants to have a love relationship with us. He knows just how much we need Him and he wants to show us the real joy and meaning of life. So He beckons for us to come unto Him. He wants to do for us what He knows we cannot do for ourselves.

    I have heard people say, “When I get myself together and clean up my act, then I’m going to Church and do what’s right.” We cannot fix ourselves like we think we can, for it is written in Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” (NLT) God has provided a way for us to communicate with Him and it’s through prayer.

  4. Carrie,
    Thank you for chiming in! The thought pattern you mentioned was exactly what I was trying to address in this post. We really can't fix ourselves. Thank God for Jesus! Thank God for welcoming as we are! Abundant blessings to you, Carrie!

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