Come as You Are

You know, many churches say "come as you are." I really do enjoy that statement. It seems very open and accepting. I never put much thought into it the first few times I heard it, but as I dig deeper into my faith, I have realized the meaning is much deeper and noteworthy than originally perceived. Come as you are.. Let's think about that for a minute and what it means when you read it or hear it.

If you're anything like me, you know there are many things you continue to do that are not considered holy or good. For me, I consider vaping to be my biggest inhibitor. It is something I physically cannot shake on my own. I stopped once before and when I say it was the most wonderful thing, it really was. I literally gave everything I had to God because, obviously, doing it on my own just wasn't cutting it. I picked up the old habit again, not necessarily because I had lost faith, but because I placed it on the back burner. I let my anxiety and fear of a new, healthy relationship take hold because a healthy relationship was something I've never known before. I thought it was for one night and then I'd be back up and running with the Lord, but I was so far from being right. It has now become a huge hindrance for me spiritually and mentally, and is something I deeply regret ever picking back up. And please know, I'm not shaming anybody for their vices. This world is hard, and believe me when I say I understand completely, because I really do.

Vaping wasn't just a habit but a relief for my anxiety, and picking it back up for that reason, my friends, is where I went wrong. Think of your faith as a box. When you pray about something in your life, what are you doing? You are giving it to God. You are placing that prayer in the box. Now, when you stress about something you prayed about, figuratively speaking, what are you doing with that prayer? You are reaching into that box and pulling it back out, unknowingly saying, "Sorry God, it isn't that I don't trust you, but I'm taking this back to handle on my own." For me, vaping is reaching into my prayer box and taking things out. Instead of depending on God, I just hit my vape and take a second to think about what's next.

So this is why "come as you are" is more profound than we realize. If you don't struggle with anxiety, or depression, or drugs, or anything of the sort, "come as you are" is such a sweet, simple, welcoming statement. "You don't have fancy clothes for Church? Don't worry about it, come as you are." "Didn't have time to brush your hair? That's alright, just come as you are."

But what that statement is really saying is, regardless of your demons, come as you are. Regardless of what drugs you dabble with, come as you are. Regardless of what patronizing thoughts are plaguing your mind, come as you are, because God is with you every step of the way. He gives us the authority to fight our demons, for He stands proudly behind us, at the ready, to pick us back up after the battle. He gives us the power to say no to our vices because He is more capable than any other being and He doesn't let us struggle alone. He gives us the strength to rebuke those evil thoughts, for He is our strength and our shield and He will protect us from the unrighteous. There is power in His name, all we need to do is call on Him.

That seems easy enough, but in those really dark moments when you're sitting on your bed, paralyzed by your own mentality, it takes strength to call on Him. And sometimes we get so beaten down that we begin to think we're undeserving of the grace He offers us, so we may not talk to Him out of shame or guilt. But when I say there is power in His name, there is power. Come to Him as a child knowing, inherently, we are far from perfect. Open arms, forgiveness and unconditional love are the only things awaiting us. We just have to have the will to change what we know and what we are used to.