Did you ever do a cross-stitch project at school when you were younger? When finished you would proudly present the picture to your parents, but if you turned it over there would be disordered, tangled threads hidden behind the facing barely holding everything together.
What looked unruffled on the outside revealed a big old state on the inside.
In our social media driven world, we see lots of beautifully finished faces and people presented to the world. But I suspect that if you peeled back the veneer, what we’d often find inside would be a tangled mess of pain, issues, hurts and confusion doing everything they can to not fall apart.
The good news is that Jesus didn’t come for those who have everything together. He came for the broken, the messy, the messed up and damaged. He came for those who struggle with identity, those who weep from inflicted pain, those who strive for significance, success and self-worth in all the wrong places. Jesus came not to save those “who think they are right with God” but to welcome, embrace, encourage and scoop up the sinners (Mark 2:16-18).
Zacchaeus was a pretty messed up guy, but there was something about Jesus that made him overcome his challenges to get as close as he could (Luke 19:1-10). No matter how confused or messed up you might be feeling today, do what you can to come close to Jesus, and then watch as He makes the rest of the journey to come to you. “For the Son of Man [comes] to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
Jesus wants to come to your home and heart today.
Don’t worry about tidying up, just let Him in.