Let Jesus Dress You

Where did we start? When you were born, how were you defined?
A sinner.
We have all been sinners from the start.
Nothing we do can change that fact.  We can't make ourselves any more worthy, or any less worthy.  We can't clean up our act, because once we've made it filthy, it's filthy.  Its a stain that we can't wash out, and we can't just go out and buy another garment, its the only one we have.  That one stain has condemned us. The more stains we put on it does not condemn us further. Once we are imperfect, we can't go to heaven.  Heaven is perfect and if anything imperfect entered then it would no longer be heaven.  A sentence to hell is eternity and eternity can't be lengthened or shortened.  One stain, and we're done.

Graciously, mercifully, and miraculously Jesus gave us his garment that cannot be stained because he's already sealed the deal.  He's already lived a flawless, sinless, without fail, perfect life, and he's died.  So once we let Him dress us in His perfection, we look just like that to God!

So since we're all saved by grace (Pause for a moment and think about that. Saved by grace. Just think thoroughly through that.) and we all are, in and of ourselves, filthy, unworthy sinners who are condemned to the worst punishment by just one sin, we can't become more awful when we sin more.  You're no worse than anyone else when you sin again, and you're no better than the most filthy sinner you can find when you sin less.  Sin is sin.  In God's eyes a little white lie=cheating=stealing=murder=adultery=sexual immorality.  Its all the same.  It all sends us to hell until we let Jesus dress us up in his own beautiful, flawless, white robe.  The thing is, it's free, all we have to do is say yes to Jesus. He's waiting for us, loving us.
I hope that makes you smile.

Make you Smile

The Lord leads me in ways you may not understand.
My Father asks me to please Him.  He asks me to make Him smile.
I want to make Him smile, even if that means I can't make you smile too.

I will never be all that you want to me be.
I may not live up to all the expectations you have of me.
But I will run hard after God's plan for my life.
Its greater than my own.
And it is greater than yours.

I love you, and I wish I could make you smile too, but I hope that eventually a smile will come when you see that I am doing just what the Lord has led me to do.

I'll listen if you fix my problem

So many people reach the end of their rope and then cry out to God.  That prayer often goes something like this: "God, I'll listen to you if you just fix my problem."

I find that interesting.  We say that we will do something for God if He does something for us.  Can you really do anything for God?  Is there anything we can give God that He can't get for himself?

I have heard stories of people praying this prayer and then getting what they asked for.  But recently I heard two stories that seemed backwards.  The prayer was prayed.  Then the person became a Christian.  Then their problem was fixed.  God doesn't need our "gift" of obedience to fix our problems.  We don't have any obedience to give Him.  The obedience is a gift too!  When we pray prayers like that, I think God hears something more along the lines of, "God, Give me obedience and fix my problem."  He wants to give us obedience.  And obviously, evidenced by these stories, even when we think its our gift to give, He still gives it to us.  He is so good and so patient.  He knows our heart, and He is so faithful.  When we seek Him, we always find Him!  And then we seek Him more and find Him more.  But the only reason we even begin to seek is because He's given us a desire for Himself that is built into our being.

Nothing about this life is about us.  Everything good is a gift from Him.