Nothing distracts me from God’s goodness and robs me of my joy quite like insecurity. Recently in church one Sunday I found myself unable to concentrate on the sermon because I was so busy thinking about my shortcomings: I hadn’t made enough effort to reach out to others, I’d been lazy and making unhealthy choices, and I wasn’t enjoying God’s word like I wanted to. Here it was, time to sing our song of invitation but I really hadn’t been paying attention. I was only going through the motions. All of a sudden the words I was singing on autopilot hit me:
I come broken to be mended
I come wounded to be healed
I come desperate to be rescued
I come empty to be filled
I come guilty to be pardoned by the blood of Christ the Lamb
And I’m welcomed with open arms, praise God! Just as I am.
Redemption…
I could hear God whisper, “Daughter, lay your insecurities down, and come to me. I offer redemption.”
The song continued:
Just as I am, I would be lost.
But mercy and grace my freedom bought
And now to glory in your cross
Oh Lamb of God I come, I come.”
Mercy. Grace.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:16
Redeemed Even with All Our Faults
You see, sweet friend, God knows we are are not perfect. He knows that even with the best intentions and the strongest self-discipline we will fall short of his glory. But he gives us mercy and grace over and over again through the blood of Christ Jesus.
When we come to God in all of our faults and shortcomings, he covers us. That’s what he does!
Now, this does not mean that we stay content in the mud of our sin, knowing that He pours out grace. Paul had something to say about this:
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. – Romans 6:15-18
Conform to the Image of Christ
We should strive to conform to the image of Christ. Of course we must pursue a life that pleases God, but we don’t have to feel stuck and alone when we mess up. We can lean on the Holy Spirit for strength and good fruit in our life. With God’s help, we can take hope that life can get better. Even more, we can be better.
Because we know that God offers mercy and grace, we can experience confident living rather than overwhelming insecurity. He heals us, cleanses us, sustains us. Christ’s blood, not our own, makes us clean. Jesus makes us enough.
Father God, thank you for pouring out your mercy and grace upon us. When we come to you broken, thank you for mending us. When we come to you wounded, thank you for healing us. Thank you for rescuing us when we come to you desperate. Thank you for filling us when we come to you empty. When we come to you guilty, thank you for pardoning us. Every time we approach you, may we remember that sacrifice. May we lay aside our guilt and insecurities, and take on the confident hope that you’ve given to us. May the enemy have NO power over us. We love you, Lord! In the name of Jesus, Amen
You’ll be encouraged by these posts as well!
- When God Calls Us to Do the Impossible Things - March 2, 2020
- Look to Him - February 17, 2020
- Thoughts From the Mom Who Needs Grace - December 16, 2019
He is our redemption – all of the things we desire can only be found through a relationship with Him
I can completely relate. I love those lyrics. I remember a season when I battled my insecurities heavily but so grateful for a renewed mind, God healing my heart and for identifying the lies the enemy once fed me about myself.
Amen. Beautifully written reminders of God’s beautiful truth.
Thank you for posting this. We all have out insecurities and you are right, they keep us from fully knowing Him. Thanks for the reminder. – Amy
http://stylingrannymama.com/
I agree seeing ourselves as Christ does, leaning in on Him when we can’t is what helps us overcome. Great reminder!
I love this song and these truths. So true. We are broken before the Lord but he totally mends us.
Made me think of the song, “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus”… I come to Him insecure very often. He’s always there for me!
The enemy loves for us to play those old tapes of who we were versus who we are in Christ. The enemy fires those fiery darts hitting the most vulnerable and exposed parts of who we are to distract us from God’s truth. Redemption is a gift only God gives which restores and reminds us of what God has done for us in the past and the promise of our future. I love the fact no matter how broken we come to him, his arms are always wide open for us.