This past week I found myself in unexpected conversational situations of religion versus grace, unconditional love versus conditional.

My heart broke.

Jesus came to set everyone free. Everyone.

What a beautiful gift. Some struggle to understand this free gift, the gift that walked the road to the cross where freedom was left to just simply pick up.

Many need to justify it, blinded by the have to.

Some simply die to it.

His heart breaks for the ones blinded by their performance and perfection for religion. Their rules and expectations, trapped by fear that their broken heart may beat too loud, feel too hard.

It is almost as if you can hear the sound of heavy chains dragging behind them with the smile they wear. Bleeding hearts of the proud will hide, but scream in ways only Jesus can restore in one breath. One encounter.

That’s the beauty of Who He is.

Jesus.

Jesus. Shows. Up.

It is a peace that is unexplainable, wrapped in love.

Jesus says to, “Seek Me in the secret place.” There He smiles on us. When we choose His company. His heart. His glory. Not the acceptance of man, the intimidating opinions to destroy our self worth, or the assumption like an elephant in the room that no one gives voice to. He loves it when we silence those distractions and chase after what will please Him.

In the quiet. In the crazy. In the everyday.

What does that look like? Dying to self.

Resurrected by Him.

It’s a process. Living out John 15, we press into Him. He prunes areas of self protection, self promotion, self hatred, always with love.

When filled with His love in the secret place, we cannot help but overflow onto others, and in humility, walk it out. Step by step.

When the Bible says that the last will be first and the first will be last, living humble is a beautiful thing. It pleases His heart when we live out love for others, serving those in need, done privately, with no strings attached. The proud and Phariseeical heart, the performance we seek, the religion, breaks His heart.

Jesus chases us down with His love.

Wanting to shatter all belief that we may have of obligation and regulations to win that love. He wants to find us deep into the miles of craters that life has left of our hearts. He wants to sit at a well and wait…for us. To leave all we know and change our city in who He says we are.

That’s where the beauty is. That’s where you lean into a love you have never experienced in your whole life. It’s not just a checklist of rules. It’s surrender. A surrendered heart.

In Zephaniah 3 it says He sings over us. We were created for His fellowship. Our praise and joy is a sweet fragrance to Him. Especially when we come to Him as a child, with no guilt or condemnation, into the arms of a loving Father. Unconditional forgiveness. High fives all around.

So throw out the checklist.

Grip the hem of His garment.

Hold fast to the truth of His heart for you.

Accept the gift. Unwrap it, and live. Free.

Being a Christian is messy. So is relationship So is love. So was the cross. A beautiful thing with Jesus as the foundation. Love, just love. Without conditions.

Who seeks the heartbeat of Jesus, will be first.