Running to Jesus

Jesus invites us to come to Him - quickly, eagerly, without hesitation.  To run to Him.

But...

Running is undignified, desperate, scandalous.

Me?  I like to maintain my composure.  I'm a good girl and there is a reserve rooted deep in my heart.

Running to Jesus just isn't something we good girls do.  We come to Him, sure, but not like that.  We might know we need His grace, but to acknowledge that we desperately need it is a different story.  Maybe we don't even recognize our desperate need.

What keeps us back?  What keeps me back?

If I run to Jesus and fling myself on His grace, it's going to be obvious that I don't have all the answers, that I don't have it all together, that I need Him to hold me together.

Or it could look like I have a dark secret lurking beneath that wholesome exterior.  Right?  Don't we kind of have this idea that it's only those people - the ones who've been saved out of shame and scandal and brokenness - who run to Jesus so undignified?  Like when the girl breaks down crying as she declares Jesus loves her, Wow, Jesus must have saved her from something really bad.

With no dark past or dramatic life-turn-around, I feel no need to run.  I walk instead, clinging to dignity and piety.

There is no place for pretense with Jesus, though.  He sees right through, sees me to the very core of my sinful being, and loves me anyway.

I do not need the mask of strength or the protection of my rules.  I do not need my reputation or a perfect spiritual report card.

It is safe for me to run to Him.

And remember?  He started running towards us first. (Luke 15)