This Invitational LifeSample

Taking Down Barriers When we experience redemption in our story, when we learn to trust God and let him into our fall and struggle, he begins to heal us and make us new again. He brings us back to the garden, before the fall, when things were good. He calls us good, he sees us as good, and he invites us to share his good news with others. So we must begin our relationships in Genesis 1, with trust, acceptance, and peace. If we call ourselves reconcilers of God but do not engage the pain of another’s story, we’ll do nothing to nudge that person toward redemption and restoration. We will end up reinforcing the shame, the wound, and the fall in that person’s story, and we’ll enable them to continue in their struggle without hope for redemption. But a relationship that begins with trust is a safe place for us to open up and share about the fall and struggle in our lives. When someone trusts that you are for them and see the good in them, they can stop hiding and let you see their wounds and shame. I love sitting with people and simply asking, “Will you tell me your story? Will you tell me about your life?” This is all about embodying the name of Immanuel—God with us. As we get to know others and they trust us with their story, we start to see their behaviors as part of their struggle. We won’t be tempted to judge or condemn them. You want to get beneath the surface to discover why they are choosing to live as they do. When that happens, people feel like they’ve been seen and known by an ambassador of the true, holy God. We are all in a constant struggle to live from Genesis 1, believing and searching for the good rather than the pain of Genesis 3. But you don’t need to have it all together before you can start living a redemptive life. Thankfully, God doesn’t need you to be perfect before he can use you. Ruth Bell Graham’s tombstone reads, “End of Construction – Thank You for Your Patience.” That’s awesome. Billy Graham’s wife joined with God in the restoration of all things for the majority of her life, and yet her humble heart recognized that we are all in process. We are all “under construction.” Even as we heal and grow, we are also being used to bring restoration to this world. If you’re still wondering who you are and why you’re here, consider this: You are a child of the living God, and you were created for relationship with God and others. You’re here to make a difference. You’re here to show others Jesus—God saves. And you’re here to show people Immanuel—God with us. The cross reminds us that Jesus was at his strongest while at his weakest. The cross is what happened the moment your struggle became your redemption. That is a powerful story to tell. People want to understand how God met you in your addiction, how he met you in your abandonment, how he met you in your pain, or how he met you in your sin. They want to know how God restored you and invited you to lead others to restoration. God’s story is my story is your story is every person’s story. Aligning yourself with God’s heartbeat for humanity means diving into all of it.