Today I want to talk about something I hear people say in church a lot…“Leave everything you’re going through at the door and just come to Jesus.”
Now, whether you’ve gone to church and heard this said, or you’ve never been to church but you feel like you have to ditch your baggage before you approach the Lord, this is actually an inaccurate way of thinking about God.
I totally understand the heart behind why people say this – when we come to God, we want it to be a place of refuge and comfort, where we aren’t worried about what happened earlier in the day. But because of who God is, we actually don’t want to forget what’s going on in our lives, or leave it at the door…We want to bring it to the foot of the Cross.
You wanna know what’s possibly the most beautiful part of being on a journey with Jesus? It’s this: your journey starts right where you are at this very moment…and no matter how long you’ve been on that journey, it’s the same every day. Since God’s mercies are new every morning, today’s journey begins right where you find yourself today.
One of the most amazing things is that Jesus meets each of us at street level. He meets us in our here and now. God never says, “Meet me later – once you get all of that together.”
That’s why we never have to leave anything at the door before we come to Jesus in prayer and worship. It’s actually the opposite!! Jesus wants us to bring everything we carry – every experience, every burden, every wound, every joy, every care of our hearts – and lay them at his feet.
Cast All Your Cares on Him
Why? Because He loves us. And because bringing our worries, fears, and dreams to the Lord requires way more faith than leaving them behind…Casting our cares on the Lord means our trust in Him is greater than our fear of disappointment.
In Psalm 55, David writes this: “Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
Do you see the PROMISE in that verse? If you walk with God and trust Him with your burdens, you WILL NOT fall. That doesn’t mean everything in our lives will suddenly be easy or fun…What it does mean is you can rest assured, no matter what happens, God’s got you and has a good, good plan for your life.
Since our journeys begin right where we are, we need to ask ourselves, “Where am I going?” Your journey begins where you are, but you need to know where you are heading. So what is it for you? God created you to be a living example of joy, peace, compassion, justice, and truth in the circumstances that you find yourself in. In other words, God created you and called you to new life in Jesus, so that you would look more and more like Jesus in all your actions and allow Him to pour His love through you into a hurting world.
No matter what you are seeking to change or accomplish in your life, don’t be afraid to start today. The beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that Jesus promised to be with us on the journey. Jesus is not waiting for us at the finish line (although indeed He is there). He is our constant strength, guide, companion and savior on the journey of life. He is here, now, with you at street level….so let’s set our maps to “God’s glory” and begin where we are.
Daniel Fusco
Daniel Fusco is a pastor, coach, and encourager with a unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life and talk with them about Jesus and spirituality. He is the lead pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver, Washington, a ministry that reaches people across the globe with the message that Jesus is real. He inspires people to live out their faith by simply responding to Jesus. Daniel is the author of Upward, Inward, Outward; Honestly; and Crazy Happy (releasing February 2021). His radio program Jesus is Real Radio and TV show Real with Daniel Fusco can be found on stations across the U.S., including the Hillsong Channel. His popular 2 Minute Message videos and encouraging daily content can be found on Facebook (@danielfusco), Instagram (@thefusco), Youtube (@pastordanielfusco) and Twitter (@danielfusco). He lives in Southwest Washington with his wife Lynn and their three kids.
