What You Bring to the Table (by Cathe Laurie)
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17 ESV).
What can you bring to the table?
I don’t mean your favorite casserole dish, or your famous homemade apple pie, or even your astoundingly aesthetic floral centerpiece.
I mean, when it comes to your relationship with God, what can you bring to the table?
The answer may surprise you: absolutely nothing. When it comes to the Lord, He expects nothing.
A Liberating Truth to Know
I heard an old British preacher, Alan Redpath, say, “God expects nothing from Alan Redpath but failure.” I know—that sounds a little harsh. But in reality, it’s the most liberating truth! We were never (and are never) expected to be perfect. He wasn’t counting on us to be sinless, painless, perfect human beings. What He expects, honestly, is imperfection.
We tend to believe that we have to craft our perfect life to be invited to the table, to sit beside Him. But our invitation’s been open since the moment we were born and has never faltered or expired.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17 ESV). We don’t come to God with a résumé full of achievements, talents, and virtues . . . or even that perfectly crafted centerpiece! We come with our wounds, doubts, poverty, and needs. And friends . . . that’s exactly what He wants.
How God Measures Your Worth
He wants your whole heart, brokenness and all. Your worth to God isn’t measured in what you can do for Him—it’s found in the fact that He made you, He loves you, and He redeemed you through Jesus Christ.
The great American theologian and philosopher Jonathan Edwards said, “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
He doesn’t need our skills or successes. He delights in our surrender. Because that’s how He makes us perfect.
If you’re looking for a perfectly crafted prayer or a way of serving that’s going to find you special favor with the Lord, I’m sorry to say you’re not going to find it. Because your perfection lies in the simple (and astounding) fact that He made you (and is continuously making you) perfect.
Alan Redpath continued his thought in a sermon at Keswick in 1963: “He expects nothing but utter failure. But He has given you the Holy Spirit, that you need never fail.”
God Cares for You Despite Your Flaws
God doesn’t need you—He doesn’t need any of us. But He wants you—He wants you for love’s sake, for your own sake. He wants you more than you could possibly ever imagine because His love is perfect, far from the version we attempt to create here in this broken world.
He loves all of you—every bit you’ve been embarrassed by, every failure, every time you’ve thought, “There’s no way anyone could ever love me.”
If you hear nothing else, hear this: He loves you far more than you could EVER imagine!
Bring your all to Him, every broken piece and hurting bit. And when you show up with nothing but your need and your willingness, you’ll find that God has already set the table for you. All you have to do is sit down.
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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.
