GIVING OUR WHOLE HEART

Recently, we discussed the Invitation. Not just any invitation, but the invitation God has for each and every one of us to fully let Him into our hearts. This is definitely easier said than done. We often hear God knocking on the door to our hearts, but we are scared to answer it. We believe the lie that if God saw our whole hearts, he wouldn't want it. Our hearts might be filled with wounds, shame, mistakes, and sin. We wonder what God would want with that. As a result, instead of answering the door, we hide from Him. We think we have to be perfect and "put together" before he would want us. God is holy, which is something we feel we are very far from.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the woman at the well. It can be found in the Gospel of John in chapter 4. The woman at the well does not have a good past. She has been married five times and is currently living with a man who is not her husband. Jesus tells this woman everything she has done, but does not judge or condemn her. Instead, he reaches out and restores her.

This story really struck me because it showed me that God already knows all my wounds, shame, mistakes, and sins, but He still knocks patiently at the door to my heart. When I answered the door, he didn't judge or condemn me, but reached out and restored me.

God is holy, BUT God is LOVE. Do not hide from Him because all you are doing is hiding from the only love that truly satisfies. He desires to have your whole heart, not just the nice parts of your heart, but the ugly and wounded parts as well. Once you take that first step of opening the door of your heart to Him, challenge yourself to let Him into ALL parts of your heart. God is also healer, and he is the only one who can bring the light to the darkest places of ourselves.