In nearly 20 years of ministry I have heard people talk about needing to clean up before they came to Jesus. They say, “Well I know I need to be in church but I gotta get my life together first.” or “I know I need some help but once I get my job or relationship working, then we’ll come.”
That’s like saying “Well I need to fix this infection before I go to the doctor.” You go to a doctor because you are sick, not after you somehow heal yourself.
We do not have the ability to fix our own problems. I think history has effectively proven that. What typically happens is that we try to fix an issue and we create other issues in the process. What happens is a vicious cycle of issue after issue that are never resolved, never dealt with, never addressed. People may have moments of relief where the pressure and the problem aren’t as sever, but the problems never really go away.
God isn’t asking you to come to him clean. He is asking you to come to him. God is not alarmed by your problem. He is not overwhelmed by your issue. He is not repulsed at your sin. He is desperate for you to take that first step to him because he knows if he can get you to go one step, he can help. All he wants is “God, I messed up. Please help me.” At that moment, Heaven mobilizes to get you restored.
If God can get you to come to him, he can break the cycle of misery that keeps you trapped.
You know, it is bad enough that this demonic thinking keeps people in their mess, but even worse, it keeps people sidelined. There is this thinking in church that the devil wants to kill you. Sure maybe, but he doesn’t have to go that far. All he needs to do is immobilize you. If he can keep you innactive, he doesn’t need to kill you. In fact, you are better advertising for him if he keeps you alive but ineffective.
The moment we receive Jesus Christ a process of sanctification begins. That is a big church word that just means that God starts the process of getting you holy. He will address areas of your life that need addressing. He will pull of your mask and ask you to face the mirror. He will remove the bandages and ask you to acknowledge the hurts. It isn’t because he hates you and wants to see you living in pain. It is because he loves you and wants to see you living in purpose.
And unbelievably, God will not only fix your issues in the process, he will use the scars to set others free! I genuinely believe that God hates when we have to go through pain, but he will always use that pain to bring healing. God doesn’t let anything go to waste.
So you can see the plan of the enemy here. He wants all of us to believe that we can’t come to God because of our hurts and that we can’t help anyone else because of our scars. But that is a lie! God doesn’t need our perfection. He needs our willingness. God wants to redeem you so badly that he literally gave everything to do so. And he wants you to use what Satan meant to destroy you to change other peoples’ lives as well!
So wherever you are in this journey with God, know that you are never too dirty to come to your Father in Heaven. If you are broken, God will heal you. If you are sinful, God can redeem you. If you are sidelined, God can get you in the game. No matter where you are, God is waiting, he is perched on the edge of his seat with the hosts of heaven ready to change your life.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be willing. It is simple. Just say, “God, I’m here. I’m yours. I’m not perfect. But I’m willing.” Take one step and watch God change your life.
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