"And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming." 1 John 2:28
How is it that we can have confidence when approaching God at his return? That question was posed to a group a few days ago and I loved getting to hear the conversation unpack this idea. Why would we, sinful, shameful and helpless, get to boldly approach the Lord? Immediately, I thought of this story.
And it's the same with our Heavenly Father. We approach him confidently because He wipes away our shame with His love. There is no need to shrink away, no reason to hide, because when He loves you he is your safe place. So abide in Him just like verse 28 says. Rest in Him who takes away your shame and allows you to confidently come to Him.
My dad is great. He's funny and he loves me and he is gentle with me and puts up with all my shenanigans. I think he may even enjoy said shenanigans. And he wants me to do good things. He has expectations. Growing up I never wanted to disappoint him. Fast forward to senior year homecoming.
It had been a terrible (except now its hilarious because of how ridiculous it all was) week that ended with the whole senior class getting a talking to from the police on my best friend's front porch. We have photo evidence if you don't believe me. And I had to take the SAT on Saturday morning and I didn't feel like it went well. I was walking a thin line and I knew it. So when I got pulled over that afternoon for my very first speeding ticket, I was done. Toast.
I was embarrassed by how I had been behaving. Mad and surprised because I really didn't think I was speeding. Ashamed that 18 year olds couldn't build a stupid float without fighting with the class behind them. Nothing felt right. I didn't feel right. My shame was great.
As I pulled into my driveway knowing that my father was the only one home, I tried to think about how I would tell him. How could I frame this so it wasn't so bad? And I walked in the front door, because growing up I only used the front door when I wanted to hide something, but there he was. Standing in the kitchen.
But something strange happened. Instead of shrinking away and hiding, I burst into tears and fell into his arms. And I cried a lot because I was weary and couldn't do it anymore. And he loved me. And laughed at me a little which made me feel loved all the more. And I realized that when faced with disappointing my father, the fact that I am his daughter trumps all. I don't have to hide, but can come to him with my failures.
And it's the same with our Heavenly Father. We approach him confidently because He wipes away our shame with His love. There is no need to shrink away, no reason to hide, because when He loves you he is your safe place. So abide in Him just like verse 28 says. Rest in Him who takes away your shame and allows you to confidently come to Him.
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