Community of Hope’s food pantry has a client that has been coming for years. He usually reeks of alcohol and you never know what he is going to say. The first time he came to the pantry he wouldn’t even let you pray for him and didn’t want to hear anything about God. The volunteers loved him anyway and took time to build a relationship with him. After a few years, he started coming early to help us set up and helps other clients get their food to their cars before getting his own.
Over the years, he has slowly opened up to the point that he will pray with us. This past month, he requested to sit down with one of our counselors. When he did, he asked her how she was doing and to be honest with him. She felt God leading her to talk to him about a really tough time she went through a few years ago that still impacts her today. He kept asking her, “How can you be ok? How can you not be angry?” She was able to tell him that though it was a constant struggle, Jesus was able to give her peace and she knew she could trust in Him and He would take care of her.
His friend that brings him recently told us that he doesn’t always need the food. He comes to the food pantry because he wants to hang out and talk to the volunteers. He has started telling people that he is going to church when he is going to the food pantry. The real and honest relationship he has built with our volunteers keeps bringing him back.
Something that God has shown me in many ways recently is that He desires for me to be authentic with people. Too many times I feel the need to make it seem like I have it all together. God just wants me to keep it real. In Philippians 2:3, Paul says, Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Paul is openly telling the Philippians that he doesn’t have it all together. Even though he has things going on, he is pressing towards God.
1 John 1:10 in the Amplified Bible really made this concept hit home. It says, “If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts].” By acting like I have it all together, I am actually contradicting God’s word and making Him out to be a liar. Wow. That is the exact opposite of what I thought I was doing.
God wants me to keep it real. I have to be honest about where I am in my relationship with God and my failures or I will never actually grow. I am going to have off days and the beauty of it is that it doesn’t matter. I don’t have to fake it. I can approach God in my brokenness, in my defeat, in my failure and He is going to love me the same. When I keep it real with God, I will grow closer to Him than ever before. In return I’ll will see my impact grow like never before.
until next time…