Early this morning my neighbor knocked lightly, opened our door, and shouted a warm, “Hello!” Although the knock on the door was unexpected, her arrival didn’t fluster me; over the years, my neighbor has been in every room of my house. She even has a key!
But, like all good relationships, it didn’t start that way.
Truthfully, in the earlier stages of our friendship, she sometimes forced her way into my private space, which made me uncomfortable at first, but ended up forging our friendship into something deeper than mere neighbors. Now, I’m grateful I didn’t keep her at arm’s length, relegating her to someone I greet warmly at the door, but never actually invite in.
It’s the same way with our relationship with God.
In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
You may have heard Revelation 3:20 quoted about inviting Jesus into your life for salvation—what Christians often refer to as “a relationship with God.”
However, if we simply think of inviting Jesus into our lives for salvation and nothing more, we’ve missed the beauty of what God offers us in a relationship with Him.
Jesus stands at the door of our hearts. He knocks. There is no room in our life He doesn’t want to access to. Yes, initially it may feel uncomfortable to invite God into the private parts of our life—our thoughts, our decisions, our desires, our hurts, our emotions, our temptations, our confusion, our goals—but it’s so worth it!
Not long ago I experienced a painful season of grief. One day I wrote these simple words in my prayer journal:
“Jesus, I invite you into my pain.”
And, in a way I can’t quite fully put into words, Jesus met me right there, smack dab in the middle of my real life.
Jesus came in.
He met me, He sat with me, He soothed me.
He changed me.
Jesus will do the same for you.
Is there an area of your life you haven’t allowed Jesus access to? Maybe it’s never occurred to you that He wants to be invited there. Simply pray, “Jesus, I invite you into my ____________.”
Then….pause.
Just as you wouldn’t invite a friend into your home, then rush them out, or leave them sitting alone while you jumped in your car to run errands, don’t rush God either. Sit with Him awhile. Allow God to speak to you through His Word and His Spirit. Thank Him for His presence with you and love toward you.
When we invite Jesus into the totality of our lives, He not only comes in, but He sits down and makes himself at home. He is no longer someone who visits occasionally; God becomes a resident. Sometimes He even remodels!
Jesus stands at the door of your life and knocks. Open the door. Invite Him in. Hand Him the key to your life and watch your relationship grow.
You are loved,
Donna
P.S. If you’d like to grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus, grab a copy of my book, Seek: a Woman’s Guide to Meeting God. If you’d like healthier relationships with others, check out my latest book, Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life.
P.S.S. My speaking calendar is filling up and I’m booking into 2025, and even 2026. I would LOVE to join you in your city, too! You can find information about having me speak at your event on my website, www.donnajones.org.
This Month on the Podcast:
This summer we’re in a series on having better relationships with our family members; spouses, daughters, sons, daughter-in-laws, son-in-laws, mother-in-laws. I’m discussing real-life issues with my very own family! Using my book, Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life, as a springboard for discussion, each episode contains bonus content you won’t find in the book (but will understand more fully if you do have the book.) And, oh my goodness…it’s been eye-opening and fun! I’m praying it helps you have the healthiest possible relationship with your family members!
Find the “That’s Just What I Needed” podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, and all your favorite podcast platforms.
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