messy heart.

Jesus is so crazy. In a good way. He’s been revealing to me in my devotionals recently that in response to our sins and weaknesses, He doesn’t say, “put that away. Be stronger.” He says, “lean harder on me. I can help you overcome this.” Isn’t that nuts? The God who hates sin, the God who has every right to disown me for running back to habits and behaviors that dishonor Him— that HE would say to me, “come closer. Give me the problems you can’t solve. Rest on my shoulders, and I will take you to a place of strength.”

Sometimes I want the satisfaction of fixing myself. Some pastors call it the misguided practice of “sin management.” Like, ‘okay, I probably should just do everything in my power to not do that specific sin again today, but in the process I’ll just give in to some bitterness or jealousy because I feel like it.’ Jesus doesn’t want us to manage our sins, He wants our sins to be completely wiped out and removed. But He also knows how weak and impressionable we are. We’re vapors with egos like hurricanes. But how beautiful is it that the Savior who sees the filth in my heart would call me closer and ask me to let Him help with my struggles. How gentle and unbelievably thirst-quenching is Christ Jesus? I pray that I can know this tender Savior more and more each day.