Acts 15:11 - We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.
How often have we been at church and seen someone that looks like they just don' belong there? How many times have we said to ourselves, "Did he make a wrong turn at the traffic light? I think he got lost somehow." We have ALL gotten lost, which is why we are at church in the first place. God could care less about how we look. He wants our heart. I heard my Pastor say once, "We don't change so we can go to church. We go to church so we can change." Such true words.
I've been to plenty of churches where I was the one they were mumbling about. With my shaved head, goatee, and tattoos, I look like I belong on an episode of Sons of Anarchy as opposed to an auditorium worshipping my Lord and Savior. Those churches really turned me off of all churches for awhile. Once I went to a church on an invite thinking, here we go more of the same. But this place was different. One of the men greeting people as they walked up reached out his hand. When I went to shake it, he pulled me in for a big hug. I can be a touchy-feely guy, but only with people I know and I had no idea who this guy was. For a second I though to myself, 'Should I punch him?' Fortunately I didn't, because this guy and his bear hug were God's way of showing me that He was overjoyed that I had come back to church. God wanted me to see that I was going to be loved no matter what I looked like, because He knew my heart. He knew I was seeking Him. He didn't need me to look a certain way when I got there, because He knew His Holy Spirit was going to have me feeling a different way when I left.
Dear Lord, thank You for accepting me as I am. Thank You for the bear hugs You have given me through the years. Even though I didn't recognize it was You for awhile, I am beyond blessed that I finally realized it. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment