Monday, August 1, 2011

I'm Too Bad For God To Accept Me

     I hear it often. In fact, I have a dear friend who was so mistreated by her family (the people that are supposed to love you no matter what) that she can't believe God could ever love her. Her family kicked her out when she was fifteen. She makes some of the prettiest quilts I've ever seen. She is a kind-hearted person but thinks she's a pile of dirt to be stepped on. It breaks my heart, and I know it breaks God's heart too.
    There are people in prison that think they are beyond God's reach, beyond hope, beyond help. But I have on CD the testimony of a man who had been in prison four times. The penal system had given up on him and labeled him a repeat offender who would never learn to make it on the outside. He had even given up on himself. He had been a drug dealer and a brawler. He had so much rage and bitterness inside and every time he got sent back to prison it got worse. But a prison chaplain began praying for him and his daughter began to write to this man and quote scripture, verses of encouragement, and verses to lead him to salvation through Jesus Christ.
    At first he just laughed. He had seen prisoners go to chapel just to be able to get out of their cells for awhile. They would make professions of faith in order to try to manipulate the system, but never saw them change. But the young lady kept writing to him and after a time he started reading those scriptures in the New Testament he had been given. God began to work on his heart. He talked to the chaplain and began asking questions about what he was reading. Finally, one day, the Lord won the battle and the young man asked Jesus to save him from his sins and to cleanse him from all unrighteousness. When he got out of prison for the last time he married the chaplain's daughter, began attending church, and was finally called by God to be a preacher.
    Some people say they have to clean up their lives and stop doing bad things before they get saved. Friend, if that's what you think, you are dead wrong. You can't clean yourself up. You can't stop sinning on your own. We are all slaves to our passions and desires. Slaves don't have the power to change. You don't get cleaned up to take a bath, do you? We are already vile and dirty. It is the Holy Spirit's job to clean us up as long as we let Him.
    I have never heard anyone say they were sorry they became Christians. To quote and old commercial, "Try Him; you'll like Him." Actually, when your heart gets a glimpse of all that Christ gave up to come to earth to die on a cruel for you, you will fall in love with Him. It's not the same kind of love as husbands and wives; it's better and deeper than that. What are you waiting for?
Aleta Kay

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