“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest!”
Matthew 11:28 (NIV)
Visiting our True Self
There is a question which arises for many of us when we are confronted by facets of our character, personality or behaviour because of painful experiences or memories from our past that asks whether it is safe for us to share these areas of ourselves with others and with God. Such places of our true self can become no go areas for ourselves to visit like a loft or basement, they and the memories they contain are intentionally or subconsciously closed off. We find introducing coping and defensive mechanisms that suppress or keep these areas hidden or at arms length is far safer than the risk of revisiting these areas of ourselves of which we might feel ashamed or have been belittled or dismissed.
However, we have a saviour whose perfect love for you and me is not limited to certain parts of who we are. Jesus in all His fullness died for each of us that included every shade and hue of brokenness, shame and failings that we may bear. The attic of our hearts where we store such hidden hurts or shame no matter how cluttered does not surprise him nor deplete one fraction of his love towards you or me for Jesus has made us accepted in the Beloved embrace of the Trinity (See Ephesians 1:6 NKJV).
During a time of prayer recently, I received a picture that I felt was from the Lord of a ship that was being salvaged from the deep to the surface of the ocean. To give a couple of appropriate examples, this included challenges with self acceptance as well as health issues that left me feeling weak, tired and fearful of being misunderstood. With these, I struggled to believe that God or indeed others would continue to accept such a person in their true self in all their rawness, vulnerability and imperfect nature. I believe God wanted to bring these things to the surface in order to administer healing, restoration and the refuge that his presence truly is with areas of myself that I had buried or had kept at arm’s length. My prayer is that as you continue reading, you encounter the tender, loving heart of Christ healing and restoring the hidden wounds or places of your soul and that you find new freedom to bring your true self to him and accept your true self as he does.
The Invitation to Intimacy: Bringing True Self to Christ
Like Adam and Eve, we can clothe ourselves with garments of our own making, trying to cover up things done by us or to us, turning to unhealthy distractions such as social media or becoming bound by addictive behaviours such as pornography, alcohol or food to numb those parts crying out for healing. However we have a saviour who gives the following loving and tender invitation in response that empowers us to come as we are. To us Christ says the following:
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT – Bold Face Mine).
Our condition or state is not the important point here, it is that we simply come to Jesus. Jesus’ words are an invitation to true intimacy with God by proclaiming we come to him as we are in our vulnerability. When we do, we find acceptance and not condemnation. We do not find rebuke but redemption in the love of Jesus and revelation that the loving heart of God for us is not constrained but far wider, longer, higher and deeper than we imagined. In response to Jesus’ invitation we discover a truth that influences how we relate to God: namely that God’s presence is truly a safe place for our true selves to be fully known (See 1 Corinthians 13:12).
Dear Reader, let us be encouraged by Jesus’ gentle invitation to bring our true selves, warts and all, to him and allow him to bring life, restoration and wholeness that only he can bring. For Christ’s gentle patient work will bring out of the shadowy regions of pain or shame within, hidden gems of healing restoration and joy that radiate His glory and His unrivaled heart of perfect redeeming love.
© 2022, Benjamin Trowbridge.
Abba's Dearly Beloved 