getting in...

I love to tell stories, so kids, here's a story I heard the first time I attended church after having sworn it off for nearly 15 years...

Suppose you leave right now and someone hits you in the parking lot (My thinking at that moment...that's just great!). You get out to talk to the person only to realize they have no insurance (just my luck). What's the first thing you want to do (remember, this was before I renewed my relationship with God...cuss em out!)? JUDGEMENT would say they get their punishment which is to pay out of their pocket. The pastor then went on to say but MERCY would say you tell them it's ok and you pay for the damage to your own car (WHATEVER!). GRACE, according to God's law, says you take out your checkbook and not only pay for your own damages, you pay for their damages as well. My thought at that moment...are all these people nuts?!!

Fastfoward nearly six years and I find myself explaining the same concept to various people in my life, hearing them say the same things I was thinking that first day in church. When I am asked if I think I will go to heaven I never hesitate and my answer is always the same, "yes but not because I deserve it". You see I've come to understand getting into heaven isn't about "being good enough" because that will never happen. Getting into heaven is about accepting the gift God has given to us, freely. It's a gift. Honestly. We as humans get caught up in the fine details and because of that we get lost, loosing sight of the bigger picture.

Will murderers go to heaven? I used to cringe at that question, because I struggled with that notion as well. Not so much lately for two reasons...1) Jesus either died for all of humanity's sin or He didn't; 2) My destination doesn't really depend on some murderer's destination. That's God's choice. All that matters to me is what God thinks of ME, not the guy living next door sinning out loud.

Ok, let's talk about that for just a minute. Sin is sin people, there is no "one sin is greater than the other" if you go according to the bible not according to what makes us feel good. Parts of Christianity are truly not about making you feel good. No where in the bible are we told that when you become a Christian life gets good. Oh and just in case you didn't realize this...WE ALL SIN EVERY DAY! For one reason, we are still breathing! Only Jesus was perfect, even Mother Theresa sinned. We just didn't see it.

So if we all sin, everyday, then how can it be that God will allow us into heaven when we die? Aren't we suppose to be perfect once we become Christians? This is my lame attempt at solving the problem in one moment in time...ready? Deep breath....

When my kids do something wrong do I stop loving them? No. Never even occurs to me. Did my kids have to do something in order for me to love them? Nope. It's just there. My kids will forever be apart of me. God's family works the same way. There was a time when we were separated from Him, the old testament which is kinda freaky reading I must say, and that is why Jesus came down here. God did all the work for us! Just before Jesus died he said "It is finished." That means there's nothing you or I can do, no one last detail to cover. Nothing. It is finished. You are in...you're part, well that's easy, tell God you want Him to be apart of your life. That's where it's different than our kids. Our kids don't get to choose us. But we get to choose God. Or not. The coolest part, in my opinion, is once we choose Him it is finished. He doesn't leave because you do something bad, or think some lust full thought, or even worse. It's in the bible, I'm not making it up! :)

If you are struggling with the notion of are you good enough or even worse do you feel you have to get better at this life before you walk with God, then I say this to you my friend...He is waiting for you right now just as you are! I'm sorry to burst your thinking, but you'll never be good enough. Oh and that voice in the back of your head that says your too bad for God to ever want you...tell it to shut up because just as I said earlier our kids are never too bad for us to want them! All the other details, all the other questions you have, I promise will work themselves out over time. For now just know you can get into heaven, but not because you deserve it!

Till next time...