It took a while, but over nearly 40 years of walking with Christ I have learned that what we once thought was the forbidden ground of our weaknesses, sins, and secrets is actually the activator of our spiritual confidence and the gateway to God’s inner sanctuary!
It’s true.
He knows it all and yet still wants us to come to him wide open and offer every part of our lives to him. Doing this honors our Maker and the Lord of life.
“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” Psalm 66:18-20
God listens with incredible attention when we open up. Laying everything on the altar is not a personal search-and-destroy mission producing even more guilt and pain. Never. The goal is to uncover and bring forth those areas where we need God’s forgiveness and help. The goal is to repent, be forgiven, and move on, humbled but infinitely stronger and never weaker. God doesn’t condemn us, so why should we condemn ourselves?
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” Romans 8:1
When we repent, we come face to face with our helplessness and unworthiness. The act of repentance itself is a gift from God propelling us forward to an unbridled and unencumbered faith. At that point we can stand taller and stride further with a new sense of joy.
We can run with a new sense of confidence.
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Our new freedom will undoubtedly be mixed with some anguish that we failed to bring our openness to God sooner, but we should never look back. God doesn’t.
