God’s Hope for Your Heart from Matthew 18

JESUS LOVES YOU WHEN YOU’RE WEAK

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”  And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”  (Matthew 18:1-4)

Do you ever feel like you just don’t have what it takes to be a “good Christian?”

You work hard to do what’s right but instead you fail.  You struggle to stand but you instead you fall.  You try and try but keep coming up short in your efforts to please God.

The Good News is, Jesus LOVES people like you!

You see, children don’t carry their own weight, they need help.  Children don’t do everything right, they need assistance.  Children simply must trust their parents to love and look after them, and to cover their bases when they fail.

And that’s exactly the type of person Jesus is looking for; people like you, and people like me.

If you want to live a victorious Christian life, YES, devote yourself to godliness!  YES, develop good habits and disciplines.  YES, act in wisdom and stay as far from temptation as you can.

But, remember that if you’re in Christ, God accepts you not based on religious knowledge or moral performance, but because of the perfect sacrifice of Christ on your behalf.

If you think you’re more loved than others because of your good behavior, if you think you’re on a higher level than “those people” because of your morality, then according to Jesus, you will “never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

On the other hand, if you stumble, if you struggle, if you slip and fall sometimes but look to Jesus for help, He says that if you’ll just trust Him, He’s got you covered.

So, if and when you realize you aren’t all you should be, may you rest in hope as you remember this truth: Jesus loves you when you’re weak.

-Pastor Phillip

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