A Piece of Crap

 I realize the title is a little salty for the liking of some people. Some may be so offended they choose not read further. They will miss out.

Yesterday I asked a question at our 1 Way substance abuse detox ministry. The question was, "What do you think Jesus thinks of you." There was silence for a while. The woman sitting to my left replied, "That I am a piece of crap." She did not divulge much of her story. She didn't have to. She looked to be a middle aged woman who has lived a hard life. She also mentioned the feeling of living in shame. 

She has made some mistakes. She would not have been sitting in the room if she had not. It grieved my heart that she has projected the feelings she has about herself onto Jesus. We talk about the love of Jesus. We even teach children to sing about the love of Jesus with songs like Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves The Little Children Of The World. We preach and teach about it. WE JUST DO NOT BELIEVE IT. Not everyone. 

Linda held a Bible in her lap and opened right up to the specific passage we studied. She knew where to turn. It was evident she was not a stranger to the Bible. She just could not bring herself to believe the truth contained in the Bible. She could not conceive of a Savior who loves her no matter her past, no matter how many times she has failed, or the number of times she has relapsed. She feels like a piece of crap and thinks Jesus feels the same way. She is wrong. 

This message has imprinted in her thoughts for a long time. We pointed her to Jesus who accepted the woman caught in adultery and yet rejected her sin. The same Jesus who restored Peter after the mouthy disciple denied even knowing Jesus. Betrayal on a deep level. Paul persecuted and had Christians killed. Jesus forgave him. 

That woman is not a piece. of crap. She was created in the image of God. One of the recurring themes I see over and over again at the detox center is that people ask God to forgive them for their sin, but they just can't forgive themselves. They beat themselves up for going back to the very thing they swore they would never do again. Their resolve was weak and the temptation was too strong to resist. They relapsed again. Jesus gets disappointed when we sin. It grieves Him when we fall for the lie and tripped up again by the traps of Satan. 

There are many people who feel like a piece of crap and they are not in addiction. They made decisions that destroyed their lives. They stole, they cheated their company, they were unfaithful to spouses, or they surrendered to shameful behaviors that bear not repeating. They condemn themselves. They replay those decisions over and over again in their heads. If only they had chosen differently. They can point back to the decision that lead to rebellion against God that brought on destructive consequences. Some of these people wrestled back and forth as the forces of good and evil tugged at their heart and mind. It is the same thing that happened with Eve and the serpent tempting her and Adam. One little decision can have massive implications. 

For Linda, it meant being in  a detox center away from family and wallowing in shame. Jesus loves to lift pieces of crap like her and all of us and cleanse us, forgive us, restore us, and heal us. He really does love us. All of us. Sure our list of sins could fill several books. His grace fills oceans. His love is deeper and wider than we know. This love can be splashed over pieces of crap like us and He can transform us into diamonds that reflect His grace and His glory. From crap to trophies of His grace. Set your mind on that.