A lot of churches have a saying; ‘come as you are.’ There’s a reason for this. I don’t think it’s that we should show up in pajamas or gym clothes.
It means we should come in our brokenness. We bring our struggles and addictions; wounds and afflictions; illness, shame and torment to Jesus.
Hosea 6:1 says: “Come, let us return to the Lord! He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us.” This verse speaks to the self-inflicted pain and sin in our lives which has caused us much suffering. God has allowed some of this trouble to come our way so that we might turn to him. If we do, God not only forgives us but he wants to heal us, as it says in this verse.
There are other times when we experience pain and sorrow through no fault of our own.
In Psalm 147 verse 3 we are told that God: “. . . heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Several years before I got sober I longed to go to church. I wanted to know God but I was too ashamed, afraid, and proud. I tried to fix my problems in my own strength. I continued to seek relief through self-medication which brought about more problems. And the solemn vows I made to myself rarely lasted more than a few days.
The journey to recovery (and I’m still on it) was a long one and it didn’t start until I surrendered my life to Christ.
He didn’t die for our sins so we could live in them in misery the rest of our lives. He died so we could have abundant life here on earth and eternal life with him in heaven.
Jodie Stevens
