Get out from Behind Yourself

One of the ways we hold ourselves down in our sin is keeping it to ourselves. One of the things Nate Larkin says in his testimony that resonates with me is when he realized that God never loved this false identity he was trying to portray for other people and God. I think sometimes we look at our lives and think "How can God love me?"

See, one of the things that was hard for me to understand when I was struggling with that question is the fact that God's love is UNCONDITIONAL. In other words, there are no conditions! I used to think God didn't love me unless I was doing the right thing. I used to think if I was struggling with problems or temptation I had to get myself fixed, so then I could present myself to him. The only thing wrong with that is the actual way God looks at me.

At the moment of accepting God's grace I received his righteousness not based on anything I did but based on what he did on the cross. Before I was born, before I knew him, he loved me. I didn't have to act and you don't either. We will fall, it's inevitable. But it's what we do after the fall that defines us. Proverbs says :For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.

Understand our weakness is the very thing that draws us to God! We don't have to put up this front anymore. God loves us in the midst of our sin. Look at Luke 15 in the story of the Prodigal Son.

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

As you see the son didn't go off, get himself straight to come back to his father. He was at his lowest point. Look at the Father's response to his son who had gone out and squandered everything his father had given him.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

God loves YOU for who YOU are. So be real and share your struggle. Like Nate, you have to power to change other peoples lives with your struggle and your story.

Blessings! Jared