'my stuff'

I have been thinking about my life on the most basic level recently. How I seem to wrestle still at times with some basic issues (I don’t mind admitting that to you).
On one hand I have a huge amount of faith to see God move in amazing ways in your life and through our Church.
At the same time I am like most people and have my own issues that I working through in my journey with God.

After a while it is easy to have one of a few reactions:
Give up and say “hey that is just the way I am”.
The other is to pretend. Put the Christian mask on, and soldier on as if we are in some sort of victory.
But there is another way.
I was reminded of it this week praying through some of ‘my stuff’.

Jesus was one day telling a story about how we approach God.
One guy was a religious leader who outwardly did all the right things. He studied the Word of God, gave money, did ‘churchy’ kinds of things.
The other was a government employee who collected taxes for a living. Not exactly endearing work to the people he lived with. People probably talked about him in terms I can’t repeat here.
Both guys approach God.
Only one went away, in Jesus words “justified with God”.

The Tax Collector.

Why?...because of his approach.

The Tax dude wouldn’t look up to heaven, instead he beat his chest and asked God for mercy. He recognized he was a sinner and needed some help with his personal issues.
The religious guy just raved on about his own efforts and self importance.

Didn’t Jesus also say that He came not for the healthy, but for the sick?

He is my point.
I am the Tax Collector. I don’t mind admitting it.
I know I am not perfect. And that is not an excuse.
It is just that being honest about ‘my stuff’ works best when it comes to approaching God.
I have done that this week.
And I will probably do it again.
As the old saying goes...Honesty is the Best Policy

Acts 3:19 says this…
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord

Be honest please with God. Beat your chest if you have too. Share your heart and your struggles. Confess sin if you have some. And get some refreshing…

Something to think about…