Thankfully, a relationship with God is durable enough to withstand the raw, uncensored, and unfiltered moments of life

4 min read

If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

Mark is wrapping up one of the toughest weeks he’s had in a while. Things were challenging at home and even more challenging at work. Nothing went as planned and it felt like he was losing in every arena of his life, especially in his head.

It comes as no surprise that he reacted to all of it in frustration and disgust more than once. He defaulted to his unhealthy ways of coping.

Mark is prone to this when things go sideways.

God Can Handle It

Over coffee, Mark’s friend – who is also a Christ-follower – told him something that really helped him. After Mark gave the play-by-play on how badly his week had gone and how badly he had handled it, his friend said, “Man, just talk to God about it. You can go there. Put it all out on the table. God is holy, but that doesn’t mean that he’s fragile. He can handle it.”

What a concept, Mark thought. God can handle it.

Sometimes we assume that since God is holy, our relationship with him is delicate. We think that we’d be better off just leaving the Lord out of the untidy and broken parts of our lives.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

While our sin grieves God’s Spirit and offends his holiness, this does not mean that he’s overwhelmed by it. He has seen it before.

No, even in our dirtiest, most chaotic, and most guilt-ridden moments, the Father sees his Son in us. And because of the Son, we have invitation to keep coming back to the Throne of Grace as is.

There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

-Hebrews 4:16

God knows, you and I cannot become the Christ-resembling people that we will be in the glorious future if we do not come to him as we are in the sometimes not-so-glorious present. Sure, it’s uncomfortable at first, but give it a minute. You’ll soon realize you’re in a safe place.

The Old Rugged Cross

The Cross of Jesus underscores how tough the love of God must be. On the cross, Jesus took a merciless beating on our behalf. It was a fatal collision between evil and holiness, darkness and light, leaving the Son of God lifeless.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

Seemingly, the reality of sin and its consequence was just too much for the holiness of God. For a few days anyway, it appeared as though God’s righteousness could not withstand exposure to the brutalities of life in the real world. Had God incarnate buckled under its weight? Had he succumbed finally to its dreadful sting?

But come Sunday, the resilience of God’s righteousness was on full display. It wasn’t dead. Better yet, he wasn’t dead. He had taken the worst the devil and this world could offer, yet there he was, breathing, walking, talking, and loving people again.

Mark’s friend got it absolutely right. God is holy, but he isn’t fragile.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.