My house is usually a mess, and not just a bit.  If a burglar broke in, he’d think someone beat him to the job.  Here’s a photo of our living room not long ago. *cringe*

Granted, I homeschool and we are home a LOT.  But you better believe that when a friend’s coming for coffee or family’s coming to town…

Steam-mop the floors, vacuum every corner, clean out UNDER the beds (because that’s the first place people look?)!  All counters organized!  Why are hand towels in with BATH towels?  Why is Han Solo Lego dude still on the floor?  Let’s go go go, people!  

And even though my sincerest friends assure me, “You don’t need to clean for us!”, deep down, I sometimes think, “Yeah, right! This is appalling.  There’s no way they should see this disaster.” Laundry, papers, dishes, toys, crumbs.  Sigh…

If we’re honest, moms are messy inside, too.

Deep in our hearts, there can be heaps of envy for a friend who’s “living the dream”.  There can be cluttered, angry thoughts about our children and unmet expectations.  In the corners there may be bitter thoughts about our spouses, gathering resentful dust.  On the table could be spilled dreams sopped up with rags of disappointment.   And scattered on the floor? Dirty sins of the past.

And no matter how hard we try to clean up our hearts, we just. can’t.

Sure, we do “good things” in hopes that it’ll clean up the sins.  We stuff angry thoughts about our children in the closet.  The resentment about our spouse is dusted.  And that disappointment we mopped up?  We toss that rag in the sink, thinking it’s done (as it gets stinkier by the minute).

Really, our mess is still there, just more presentable to others and ourselves.

Now, I don’t want to freak you, but…

someone’s here.  That’s right, company’s arrived and he’s knocking at your door right now.  Are you quickly picking up papers and wiping down counters before you answer it?

Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Jesus is knocking.  If you’ve never opened the door to Jesus, you may be surprised to know he understands.  He knows that behind the door as he knocks, you may frantically run around cleaning.  He sees the disarray, dust, disappointment, and denial.  Jesus knows you’ve been striving to tidy up regrets of the past, sins of today, and anxiety about tomorrow, even before he arrived.

But guess what?  Jesus isn’t knocking, expecting to enter a clean home.

He’s knocking because he wants to come in and be with YOU, knowing you’re a mess.

Maybe you think, “But if Jesus saw what I’m REALLY like, he’d be appalled.”  Here’s good news:  Jesus isn’t that friend who tells you not to worry about cleaning then secretly judges you.  He’s not looking around your house saying, “Umm…let’s go OUT for coffee instead.”

No.  Jesus, the friend I’ve come to love, is ready to come right in, imperfect mess and all, to begin a relationship with you just as you are.

But why would he want to come in when it’s such a mess?

This is the good news: WE’RE ALL A MESS.  Even that nice little old lady who never missed church in her life.  Yup, she’s a mess, too.  It’s called sin.  Everyone’s got it, but not everyone will admit it.

We can try and clean it up through good works, denial, and excuses.  Dust a little, tidy that pile up, and boom!  Its not perfect, but it’s clean enough.

But you and I both know we’re never fully clean.  All we can do is hide the mess, shift it, try and make it look nice.

God created and loves us all, but sadly, he can’t be with us in our mess.

He’s holy and set apart, perfect in every single way and no matter how we try, even one thing “out of place” keeps us separate from him.

But Jesus, this man who knocks and is at your door at this very moment, wants to enter.  God actually sent him!  God loves us so much that he doesn’t want to be separate from us.  So he sent his son Jesus who died on a cross to pay for our messy sins.  God has also sent him knocking today.

And like Revelation 3:20 says, he wants to dine with you…to be with you.

While on earth, Jesus saw the mess, sin, and regrets.  There’s nothing in your mess he hasn’t seen and didn’t die for.  Not only that, but because Jesus was perfect, his “cleanness” can cover your mess if you let him in.  He understands the mess, SOLVES it, and uses it for something beautiful.  Jesus offers you freedom from the frantic striving to clean your mess up yourself.

He wants to make your heart completely clean before God.  All you need to do open your heart and say, “Jesus, you’re welcome here.  Make me clean.”  And he will.  Then the separation from God, who loves you dearly, is over.

Have you longed for and asked to be made clean in your imperfect, messy heart?

If so, be excited!  He has made you clean and is calling you to live life with him and FOR him forever, even after life on earth is over!  I encourage you to find a Bible-believing church that loves God’s Word without apology and loves others without condition.  Then begin reading a Bible–the book of John is an excellent place to begin your journey.   The more you learn about Jesus, the more you’ll love him.  It won’t be an easy life, but I guarantee you it will be the only life truly worth living.

Maybe you’re a struggling mom who already knows Jesus.

Maybe you still catch yourself striving to earn God’s grace, thinking there are strings attached, hoping what you’re doing is enough.  If so, I encourage you to remember:  Jesus’ cleanness is more than enough for your mess.  Rest in his mercy, grace, and love for you.  It’s time to find your joy in Jesus once again.

This Mother’s Day, whether you opened the door to Jesus’ knocking years ago or just today, remember:  Admit there’s a mess, then invite in the only one who can clean it.  It’s time to relax in, celebrate, and embrace that you’re an imperfect, Jesus-lovin’ mess.

Remembering that is the best gift you can give yourself today and every day.  Happy Mother’s Day!

Have you embraced that you’re an imperfect, Jesus-lovin’ mess? How did it feel? Comment below!