Time and again I’ve heard the words come from the mouths of so many people. I am too bad for church. Ah, the pain when we think that someone or something is out of our reach when it truly isn’t. Alcoholics can amend their habits, so can those addicted to drugs, and so can the person who has an eating disorder – nothing is really out of our reach. I’d like to put myself out there and say that if you’ve had a bad church experience where you were blatantly told that you don’t belong – I’m sorry. The real church is one that has a place at the table for everyone. As we go over the next few words, remember that we go nowhere when all we do is focus on the past.
Church is not a place for perfect people – if that were even possible anymore – it is a hospital for sinners. Imperfect people coming together to confess to one another that they have fallen short in the standards that were set for us so long ago, yet they still apply to us today. Admitting that we are the ones that have fallen short is the first step into potentially dealing with that specific imperfection. Citing the causes of the problem is the first step to recovery. And if those coming together to confess where they have fallen short but actually aren’t and are there in vain, that’s not what it’s for. First things first – examine yourself and whether you are one of those going through the motions or are you actually there. Do you mean it when you say “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner”? Think about it.
Something that is underemphasized is the fact that faith in God is truly between you and God when it comes down to it. When we ask forgiveness we need to be doing it in a truly sincere way. Repentance is a fancy word for the way we are when we realize that we truly are in need of God’s grace and mercy. No matter how many marks are against you God still loves you and cares for you. His forgiveness is for everyone.
Tagging along with forgiveness is the concept of grace. Just say the word with me… grace. What a beautiful concept. Grace can go both ways and it can be reflected from one person to the next. Paying-it-forward is a concept that is sweeping across the globe and I am humbled by those who’ve done it toward me and I pray that I’ve been adequate in reflecting it onto others. Such a meaningful thing can be traced back to grace. Receiving something regardless of whether or not we deserve it.
How many times do we see opportunities in life for us to show grace to one another but we let other things deter us from it? The bank account is not at a high enough level, “crunched for time”, or “I know what they’re going to go and do with my money.” When we let these things get in the way of us reflecting God’s grace onto others we strike out at the game of life. Here we strike out looking. And when we strike out looking, we deserve to walk home. But all of us are given another chance from God. No matter how many times you’ve done wrong, God puts us back in the game like nothing ever happened.
The most extreme point that I want to make with this essay is that when people say that they are too bad for church they are essentially saying that they don’t know if God will accept them anymore. Basically, their sins have built a wall between them and God and there is no way that love can shine through. Let me tell you this – this is wrong. If God truly is God – the great and all-powerful – then there is nothing that can overpower Him. We live in a world where we obsess over what is owed to somebody, therefore we tend to force this thinking on God. Yet, there is a simple caveat: God is like that unlimited phone plan. You may call, text, and browse all you want and the price that you have to pay is still at a whopping 0. Jesus has paid your tab. No matter the amount of sins, they are paid for on that simple cross.
Think about it… are you allowing yourself to fall into the realm of one who believes them to be too bad for God or a retired Christian? God’s forgiveness and grace are for everyone and the amount of sins piled up against you doesn’t matter in His eyes. Christ died for you in order to nail that sin to the cross and bury it. When we look to the Bible for a verse about how many sins it will take for Him to stop loving us our search comes up empty. But when we look to the ones about love and His embrace there is a lengthy list. There’s always a spot for you at God’s table.
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