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"The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made."
(Psalm 145:8-9)
This week, I am sharing some lessons and stories from a ministry opportunity I recently took part in: English Camp in Wölmerson, Germany. Our camp theme of "Be Real" continued each day. Wednesday's focus was being real with God.
Being real with the Lord means being honest with Him in every way. The Lord already knows everything about us–even things that we ourselves don't know yet–but when we are real with Him, it is an opportunity for us to have a deeper and more fulfilling relationship with Him. We lose nothing in being real with God. We only gain.
What keeps you from being real with the Lord? Here are a few reasons I think many people struggle to be real with Him:
- Shame: Shame will lie to you by convincing you that the blood of Jesus is not sufficient to forgive your sins and make a way for you to approach God. Shame tells you that you are unworthy to enter into the presence of God. The Gospel tells you that Jesus paid the price for all of your sins so that the curtain was torn and you can now boldly enter in the presence of the Lord.
- Fear: Fear might keep you from being real with the Lord. Fear will lie to you by telling you that there will be consequences if you come to the Lord. While the Lord does have wrath toward sin, He is already fully aware of what you have done before you come to Him with it. When we come to the Lord being real with Him about our sin in humility and then repent, there is nothing to fear. There is grace through the cross.
- Misconceptions about God's character: It can be difficult to be real with our great God if you misunderstand His character. If you think that He is a temperamental God, then you are unlikely to go to Him with your problems and failures. If you think that God is quick to be angry, you won't want to be real about sin. If you think God is annoyed when you ask for help, then you won't run to Him in every situation, as He wants you to. The Lord reveals Himself all throughout Scripture so that we may know Him and His character. Knowing who God is will bring you great freedom in seeing that He is full of grace and mercy.
Go back and reread the amazing truths about God found in our verses for the day. May these encouraging realities about the Lord help you to open up to Him today.
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