You are patient, Father.

You welcome me back with grace when I don’t deserve it. When I have trampled and made a mockery of Your Name, You still embrace me with love when I run back to You.

I serve a gracious God. He is always faithful, meeting every need I have at the most perfect time.

And yet, I still have days I struggle to trust. There are still days fear and doubt creep into my mind and effect my perception of who God really is.

Following Jesus doesn’t mean I have it all figured out, that I have somehow arrived at perfection while I still walk this earth. It’s also not an excuse, a crutch to live a life emboldened by sin where I wave my “get out of jail free” card when the flames of Hell get too hot.

Following Jesus means He is above everything else in my life. My pursuit in life is His pleasure, and from that everything else finds its rightful place.

Following Jesus means I yearn and strive to reflect Him in everything I do. From the little to the big, the 90’s phrase-question “What would Jesus Do” causes me to reflect on my approach and decision I make.

Following Jesus means I serve, and I serve because I love what matters to Him. What Jesus values, I value. I pour myself into meeting the needs of those around me, because He set the example of the perfect servant when He deserved glory and honor.

I serve a loving and gracious God. A Father who loved me so much He gave His most prized possession to rescue me from the grip of Hell. Jesus, on a cross in my place. A physical display of ultimate sacrifice, that won the eternal battle for my soul.

I follow Jesus not out of guilt, or fear. I follow Jesus out of gratitude. Because He willingly took a place meant for me, so that I could stand with Him before the Father. He wanted me, because He loves me. And He wants you for the same reason.

The sacrifice He made for me, He did for you too. The joy He gives me, He wants you to have also. Following Jesus isn’t about getting it right all the time, or never struggling again.

Following Jesus is about recognizing the gift laid before us, the sacrifice that was made on our behalf because our Creator saw it right to restore us to Himself. It’s about finding peace that I often times can’t wrap my head around, but it helps me walk through the storms with confidence that I am not alone.

It doesn’t matter what your past looks like, what kind of baggage you are hanging onto, Jesus wants you. He wants you to let go, to fall into Him and trust that He will hold you.

He wants you.