Come Home to God | 2 Cor. 5:19-21

Welcome to Real Life. Is God mad at me?

“The grace in God’s heart is always bigger than the sin in my life.”
–Pastor Jonathan Schaeffer

While listening to Moody Radio the other day, I heard a man named Julian call in and tell the program host, in tears, “It’s time. I want to come home to God.”

Julian knew God. He believed in Christ as his Savior. Earlier in life, he had walked with God, attended church, and prayed. But, somewhere along life’s journey, Julian walked away.

Far from God, Julian had become addicted to cocaine. His life was crumbling. He knew he needed God. So, he began looking for a way home. He turned to Christian radio.

Along with thousands in Radioland, I listened as Julian prayed with the host. I witnessed his homecoming. It was holy ground. Julian wasn't the only one in tears.

Are you and God at odds? Do you think God is mad at you?

As a young woman, I lived far from God. Though I believed in God and attended church, I did not know him. My heart was far from him. Though I believed in his son, Jesus Christ, I did not understand the cross.

I began searching for God. One Sunday morning, I visited a church where I clearly heard God’s voice speaking to me through the preacher, “Come home. Be reconciled to God.”

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself,
no longer counting people’s sins against them.
And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.
We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,
so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
          2 Corinthians 5:19-21 (NIV)

I did it. I knelt at the altar and prayed. When I opened my heart to Jesus, he came in. He changed me. No, more than that, he transformed the trajectory of my life. Instead of walking away from God, I turned towards him and began to walk with him. I came home!

Life was good. But, after some years, I became distracted. I walked away from grace. Because God is perfect, I thought I had to be perfect for him. So, I tried. Since perfection is impossible, I kept falling short. I thought God was disappointed in me, ashamed of me, even mad at me.

I forgot the truth. Jesus shed his blood for all my sin, selfishness, and imperfections. It's because I can't be perfect that Jesus died as an offering for my sin. That's why the day we remember Jesus' death on the cross, a torturous execution, is called Good Friday. It's good because it's the day God in Christ reconciled the world (you and me) to himself.  Jesus opened the doorway home to God!

As I walked away from God's grace and love, my heart grew colder. I overworked to exhaustion. Life began crumbling. All the while, God was calling. It's just that my life was too loud, too busy, to hear him. That is, until I was so tired, I broke and couldn't function. Suddenly, everything stopped. Life got quiet. So quiet I could hear God's call. I ran home! He enveloped me in his love and grace—healing my heart, mind, and body.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, God's not mad. He's calling, “Come home! I'm waiting for you, dear Child.”

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
1 Corinthians 6:2 NIV

Dear Father, I'm coming home!

Taking it further...

• Are you ready to reconcile with God? If you would like to talk to someone, like Julian did, call 1-888-NEED-HIM or go online to Chat About Jesus.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home;
you who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home! 

From the Hymn "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling" by Will L. Thompson, 1880