Good morning, Making Space for God friends! Last week as I was preparing to meet some friends for dinner, I looked in the mirror and thought, “Boy, do I look terrible.” I even entertained the idea of not going because facing the redo that was needed was daunting. It was the end of the day and I simply did not want to get dressed and look better than I did at the moment. I pondered for just a moment, “What if I went just like I was?” I quickly dismissed the idea because that might frighten my friends. Seriously, my thinking wasn’t that pitiful but it was close.

Sometimes I think we live in a world where “come as you are” is not as acceptable or as easy as we would like. We consider what others might be wearing, or what impression we might make but the truth is coming just as we are is Biblical.

Peter and his brother Andrew dropped their fishing nets and apparently didn’t have time to change…. or worry… or consider that they might not be accepted by Jesus if they went in their fishing gear. Scripture simply states that they followed Jesus.

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. Come follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men. And at once they left their nets and followed. (Matthew 4:19-20) 

As Christians, allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way in us, we uncover our true selves; the person God created in His image, loved and accepted by the Father. But as people living in a contemporary world, we learn to build up walls, masking our true selves. But today, the thought of coming as we are is very appealing.

Jesus had a simple message– to come and see– to drop our pretenses, our hopes, dreams, job performance and even in one Scripture he said don’t even stop to bury your dead. The point being his message was simply to come. If we wait until we change our clothes (ie, be perfect) to enter His Presence we may miss the moment. If we wait until we think we are doing things just right we may miss the blessing of getting it wrong and finding God’s perfect love covers it.

How about this week consider coming as you are? Tell your friends you are having a moment; that you are going to step back and simply be and not do. I once heard it said that we are human beings, not human doings. So drop your nets and follow Jesus. Come as you are. Take a moment and watch this video. Let the words sink deeply into your heart.