Have you ever felt like you just needed to overcome that one sin in your life to be free or usable to God? I know I feel that way often. Like I can be usable to God when I no longer feel greed, or pride, etc…so, I often find myself waiting for that to happen. But am I limiting God?
I once heard this analogy from a youth pastor a few years ago, and it stuck to me:
Do you clean yourself before you take a shower? No, right? You take a shower to get clean. In the same way, do you have to be clean to be with Jesus?…..No. Being with Jesus cleanses you.
Here I equate cleanliness with being free. When Jesus died on the cross, he broke every binding, every chain, and every thingthat was holding us captive to sin. When we come to Jesus, we receive freedom immediately! We just need to start living like it. We will make mistakes, and we will fall, but we cannot let those things keep us from being used by God! We have to stop living as if we will be free “when…”, and start living a free life here, NOW!
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. – Romans 8:1-2
When we allow God to use us where we are, we are allowing Him to perfect us.
I encourage all of you to begin living like this. Be open to what God can use you for here, NOW. We do not need to be perfect, we just need to be in Jesus.
Born in 1989, Colton (the author of LivngForJesus) is child of God, husband, soon-to-be father (baby on the way), the Outreach & Youth Director at Gateway Christian Church and a graphic/web designer. He has had a passion for ministry since his mid-teens....