"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
Psalms 19:14 NRSV
So, for those that don’t know, I work a secular job in the manufacturing field. Why do I mention it is a secular job? Well, the language that is freely spoken throughout the plant is, well, I’ll say it is "colorful" to say the least. When I first started working here I was overwhelmed with the obscenities that were just so casually handed out with each statement. Over time, I hear the words, but I’m not really phased by the language. Am I judging those who speak in that manner? Absolutely not. My desire is to love each person as God has shown me love. No exceptions.
I mention this because for most of the folks I’ve encountered, when they find out that I am a follower of Jesus, they IMMEDIATELY change how they speak and act. They "clean up" their language and how they respond. Honestly, this hurts my heart more than the language. Why? Let me ask this… Does our heavenly Father require us to get all cleaned up (language/actions/habits) before we can seek Him? Goodness, no!! He accepts us as we are, where we are. He doesn’t focus on our failures. He focuses on the steps we are making toward Him, toward Christlikeness. With time in close relationship with Him, through grace and the amazing work of the Holy Spirit, those things that we feel we need to "clean up" will fade away.
If you have been told or been made to feel that you are lower than pond-scum and that you have to get right before you can even try to talk to the Creator, I’m sorry. You weren’t told the Truth. There is grace that God gives, grace that even goes ahead and prepares the path to salvation in our hearts and lives. If you want to know more about that, HERE is an article about "prevenient grace." When I found out about this grace, it was a total game-changer for me. If you have questions about it, just reach out. My details are below.
If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.
Photo Credit: PIXABAY
~PRODIGAL MIKE
Prodigal Thinker 