Have you ever received an invite that has a dress code? You know, it says smart casual or formal, black tie or cocktail. We then go through the effort of choosing an outfit that suits the occasion, so we are appropriately dressed for the event.
We have been offered an invite to come unto Christ and guess what? There is a dress code: come as you are. There is no dress requirements to come unto Christ and we can do it right now.
Here’s a question for you. Do you need to be sitting in a church pew to pray? Is prayer reserved only for Sunday? No and no. So why then do we put limits on ourselves about coming unto Christ? Why do we not come as we are?
During His ministry, who did Christ spend his time with? Was it just the rich and well dressed? No, it was the poor and downtrodden. Not once in the scriptures does it say that someone had to change their clothes to speak to the Saviour. They came as they were.
To everyone that thought they were unworthy to be in his presence, He sat with them and did not ask them to change before He spoke to them, He greeted them where they were. He did not ask them to change for Him, He helped them become their better selves.
So here is your invitation, let’s come unto Christ and start as and where we are.
Take a moment and look at what you are wearing right now. What are you wearing? Pajamas? School Uniform? Jeans? Sunday best? It doesn’t matter, because you are dressed just right.
How was your day today? Bad? Good? Stressful? All of those are great.
What about your health? Are you physically fit and feeling good? Or are you struggling with your mental or physical health? He doesn’t mind either way.
He wants you to come to him at your highest high and your lowest low. Don’t ever feel like you are not worthy of His time or effort because you are. And he wants you as you are. No matter who you are, what is happening in your life or how you feel, you are welcome to come to Him. The Saviour does not put limits on us, so why do we limit ourselves?
Let me tell you about a time where my own perceived limits got in my way.
I live just south of Brisbane and attended university in Brisbane, right across the river from our Temple. One of my favourite study spots looked right across the river and I could see the temple clearly. Once a week, I would walk around to the temple and do a session, generally on a Friday night.
I turned up to the temple after uni one day in a pair of jeans, dirty Chuck Taylors (the purple ones pictured) and a hoodie. I didn’t have a chance to get changed before I arrived at the temple and I felt so bad stepping through the doors as I was dressed. The session was due to start in a few minutes and I approached the desk, hoping they would let me slide through just this once in my jeans so I could change into my temple dress in the change rooms.
The lovely Brother sitting at the desk smiled as he said hello and asked for my recommend. I apologized for being in jeans and asked whether I could slip through to the change rooms. I will never forget what he said to me as he scanned my recommend and welcomed me to the temple.
“Sister, we are so happy to have you. It looks like you had a long day at uni, come and enjoy your temple session.”
He did not turn me away because I wasn’t in my Sunday best but he encouraged me to come unto Christ and to come as I was.
No matter where you are in life, how you are dressed or how your day was, come as you are, because the rest of us are.
