John 3:3 — Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
It’s funny when I think about that conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.
Nicodemus asked Jesus, “So how does someone get born again? Can a grown man really enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time?”
What a question.
But the more I think about it, the more I realize Nicodemus was looking in the wrong direction. He was thinking about starting life over on the outside, while Jesus was talking about something much deeper.
Following Jesus isn’t about getting a fresh start from the outside in.
It’s about receiving a brand-new heart from the inside out.
Listen, it doesn’t have to be all bells and whistles or some dramatic testimony.
You don’t have to wait until you’ve cleaned yourself up. You don’t have to become “good enough” before you come to Jesus.
Bring Him the mistakes. Bring Him the shame. Bring Him the sin you wish you could undo. Bring Him the questions you still don’t have answers for.
Jesus doesn’t tell you to fix yourself first.
He simply invites you to come.
Grace meets you exactly where you are, but it loves you too much to leave you there.
He forgives you, changes you, and gives you strength you never had on your own. He begins healing what sin has broken and shaping you into the person He created you to be.
That’s what being born again really means. It’s not becoming a better version of the old you.
It’s allowing God to make you into someone new.
So, if you’ve been waiting until you have it all together, stop waiting.
Bring the mess. Bring the shame. Bring the questions. Bring your heart.
Surrender it all to Jesus, trust Him with it, and let Him begin the work that only He can do.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- Is there anything you’ve been trying to fix before bringing it to Jesus?
- What does it mean to you that Jesus changes us from the inside out rather than simply helping us improve ourselves?
- What is one area of your life where you need to trust God to make you new instead of relying on your own strength?