Uncommon Gratitude: Cultivating a Heart of Thanksنمونہ

# Coming to God Just as I Am I’m grateful God calls us to come to Him as we are. I also struggle with that invitation. I want to approach God as different than I actually am. I want to come to God: * Free from the pain I feel. * Lighter than the fear that burdens me. * Boldly full of faith, not wrestling with questions, doubts, or uncertainty. I’m grateful God invites me just as I am. But sometimes I wish I wasn’t such a mess. The beauty though, of you and me coming to God just as we are, is that we don’t have to clean ourselves up before we come. You don’t have to pretend that hard circumstances are easy. You can come to God honestly. ## And God doesn’t just tolerate your honesty, He longs for it. In Matthew 6:8 Jesus tells us that our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask Him. In the past, I was embarrassed God knew my needs. I used God’s awareness as a reason to stay away, when actually it’s encouragement to draw near. God is familiar with your struggle. He already knows—even more than you do—how much you need Him today. He wants to show you He’s close, and that He cares for you. No matter how messy the need feels, God will minister to you in the midst of it. You, like me, may want to hide away until you can present a better version of yourself to God. To clean up your heart, life, attitude, circumstance, to feel more acceptable to Him before you come. God already cherishes you. All healing and transformation, all the grace and mercy you need come from God. We can’t find them without Him. Hebrews 4 tells us we’re all naked and exposed before God, nothing hidden. I’ve read that verse before as an ominous warning. It sounded uncomfortable and terrifying to be fully exposed before our Holy God. But don’t stop reading there. The passage continues on, assuring us that Jesus sympathizes with our frailty. His intimate awareness offers us confidence to draw near, not condemnation to make us stay away. In His presence we receive the mercy and grace He already knows we need. Choose uncommon gratitude. With all your limits and struggles, you are welcomed in God’s embrace, just as you are. God, thank You that I can come to You just as I am.