While growing up on a farm, I heard my mother yell many times, “Don’t come in this house until you get that dirt off of you!”
Dirt jumped on me it seemed. I loved to roll around in the creek that ran behind our house gathering twigs, leaves, leeches, tadpoles and frogs.
Whatever came my way; I found a purpose.
I was never allowed to bring my treasures inside.
They weren’t as important to my mom as they were to me. Cleanliness is next to godliness was a statement that was abided by entering the back door at my mama’s.
I understood this more once I had three curious boys. My boys attracted dirt the same way I had in my youth. They brought home loads of it from expeditions on the farm when we visited, infield dirt from baseball diamonds and the mud from our backyard after playing in the sprinkler.
I gave up on the cleanliness battle and allowed my boys to track in the treasures from their adventures. Not enough to ruin furniture, a hose was used to wash that off, but the footprints that could be mopped up, the sand swept up, the grass remnants scrubbed from their pants were allowed.
I fell back to the ‘don’t enter if you were dirty’ declaration when I thought about praying or learning more about God. How could God love me if He knew my thoughts? If He knew my past? If He knew my unlovable side?
God says you are welcome here, no matter your mess.
Really? But what about…
You are welcome here, no matter your mess.
But…
You are welcome here, no matter your mess.
I adopted the proclamation, “you are welcome here, no matter your mess,” after I accepted the unconditional love of Jesus.
When I approached Jesus and the cross, I wasn’t free of dirt and filth. The sin I brought to the cross was still dripping from my spirit. I tried to hide it. I wanted to bury it. But the acts and thoughts reared their head needed to be confessed.
The shocker was that God already knew and he invited me just the same.
Just the same as I was when I was living for self, not for Jesus.
When I was judging and condemning others.
When I coveted others material possessions wanting to look like I had it all.
Just the same.
God’s unconditional love is overwhelming in comparison to our sins.
We don’t have to be clean and free to approach him. We have to be willing.
Willing to ask him to be our savior.
Willing to accept his freedom.
Willing to repent and turn away from our past and live a life of joy with Him.
God doesn’t expect us to clean up before we come to Him.
Bring your dirt.
Bring your twigs, leaves, leeches, tadpoles and frogs.
Bring the slime.
Bring the mud.
He can clean us.
Is there something in your life that is keeping you from approaching God? Is there something, even now that you are a believing Christian, that stops you from leaning near to Him?
Confess it to Him. He knows already.
Be honest.
Be vulnerable.
Be humble.
Tell Him.
Then turn and walk with Him in a different direction.
He is near.
He loves you.
No need to get that dirt off of you to come to Jesus.
He will wipe you clean!
