Just Bring Yourself

Just bring yourself.

My pastor’s wife, who is also a dear friend, invited my family over for Sunday dinner last week. When she texted me on Saturday to ask me if we were still coming, I told her yes and asked her what we could bring.

Her answer was, “just yourselves.”

I’ll have to admit, being a lifelong Southerner, that statement gave me some trouble. My mama raised me to never show up empty-handed. That’s just good manners. Would showing up with just ourselves be rude?

Later that afternoon, my hubby asked what we were supposed to bring to the Sunday dinner, when I told him, just ourselves, he was kind of surprised too.

I thought about just bringing ourselves for the rest of the afternoon and why it bothered me.

It’s kind of interesting what gets ingrained in us as children and what we carry into adulthood. At first glance, never showing up to eat at someone’s house empty-handed, is meant to be a sign of respect. But, upon closer inspection, don’t we also need to feel that we are contributing something? Is bringing something to someone else’s table about honoring our host or about honoring ourselves?

What about when we worship? When we go to church, do we feel like we have to bring something? Do we feel pressured to bring money? Do we feel like we have to bring a happy face? Do we feel like we have to volunteer for everything to get to heaven? Do we believe that only the people who have it all together are the ones who should even attend church?

Has our free enterprise society taught us that to get salvation we have to somehow work for it so we can earn it?

God’s Kingdom is different. Jesus very plainly told the folks around Him that He wasn’t there to call people who think they have it all together.

“When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor-sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Mark 2:17

Jesus calls us to the foot of the cross just as we are. The work of redemption has already been done. There’s truly nothing we can do to add to that. We are called to come empty-handed with open hearts.

Once we have accepted that truth, we are welcome and encouraged to bring our talents and our gifts. When we walk closely with Jesus, we find that we want to serve, and give, and share. But, we want to do those things because He did those things. We want to honor Him.

It’s not about us. It’s about Him. Sometimes we can get that mixed up.

A text message reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂