Cindy Powell

“I’ve learned to run to Him in my brokenness, failures, frustrations and disappointments, rather than away from Him in shame, regret, confusion or anger.”

It goes all the way back to the beginning of man. Adam and Eve walked in unbroken fellowship with God. But then they sinned. After they sinned they did something that ought to sound really familiar …

They hid.

We’ve been hiding from God in various ways ever since.

But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” –Genesis 3:9

But God. Don’t you just love those words? One simple phrase that changes everything. But the LORD God called to the man….

And He’s continued to call out to us ever since.

Because He is always calling out to us, that should tell us something about His heart. It should tell us something about His desire. It should tell us something about how He feels about us.

When we mess up, nearly everything in us wants to run in the opposite direction of a holy, righteous God. The only problem is … that’s not what God wants.

It’s also not what we need.

God wants us to learn run to Him–even in the midst of all our brokenness and failures–and not away from Him. This was my second point on my recent list of things I’ve managed to learn along the way. When people have asked me how I’ve kept moving forward with God through the years (one of the few things I have managed to consistently do in my life), I’ve often mentioned this as one of the keys.

The reason I’ve learned to run to Him in all my raw and inglorious messiness is actually pretty simple … I’ve come to know and trust His heart toward me.

I think it helps to understand from God’s perspective. This was (and is) a big deal to Him. He enjoyed the open, unashamed communion He shared with Adam and Eve before the fall.

He still enjoys our company.

So when sin entered the picture and corrupted the purity of our relationship with Him, He went to the most extreme lengths imaginable to restore our unity with Him. At the cross, He broke the power of sin and death once and for all. As I mentioned in the second part of this series, there is no longer any separation from His perspective. None. Ever. Regardless of we have or have not done. He cleared the way (He actually became the way) for us to access His presence–and His heart–forever. Since He did–imagine this–He wants us to take Him up on it!

I’ve often heard believers talk about how our screw-ups break His heart. There is some truth to that in the sense that He never enjoys seeing us in pain. And a lot of our choices do ultimately cause pain–for ourselves and for others. But often we take it much further and believe we cannot find our way back to His arms until we get our act together and/or pay some sort of penance. Shame clouds our judgment and we begin to distance ourselves from the One who longs to love and restore us.

But if nothing we ever do is a surprise to Him–and “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us”–how can anything we do ever change His heart toward us?

Answer? It can’t.

So turn around. Don’t punish yourself–or Him–another minute. Run to Him, not away from Him. Leap into His arms–they’re open wide for you. He’s waiting. He’s longing. He’s even aching for you to run toward Him. He’ll catch you. He’ll receive you. I promise. Turn around and find rest and restoration in the arms of the One who loves you more than life. It’s not only the best thing you’ll ever do for yourself …

It’s also the greatest gift you can give Him

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