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A man with leprosy came to Jesus and knelt down. He begged, “You have the power to make me well, if only you wanted to.”

Jesus felt sorry for the man. So he put his hand on him and said, “I want to! Now you are well.”
Mark 1:40-41

Have you ever felt like your life was such a mess that you just wanted to hide? Maybe you felt like a failure, or that if people really knew the truth about your struggles, they would run the other way. We have all had moments where we felt unworthy of love, thinking our problems were too big or too ugly for anyone to handle.

In the Bible, there is a story about a man who lived this way every day. He had a skin disease that forced him to stay away from other people. He even had to shout a warning to keep people back. He hadn't felt a kind human touch in years. When he met Jesus, he didn't question if Jesus could heal him; he questioned if Jesus wanted to. He essentially asked, "I know you have the power, but do you even want to be near someone like me?"

Jesus did something shocking. He didn't step back or put on gloves. He reached out and touched the man right in the middle of his sickness. Jesus didn't wait for the man to get better before He loved him; He loved him to make him better. Whatever you are going through—whether it is a mistake you made or a problem you can't fix—Jesus isn't afraid of it. He doesn't wait for you to be perfect to come close. He reaches out to you right now, mess and all.

Call to Action: This week, identify one shame or struggle you have been trying to hide from God or others. Instead of pushing it down, bring it to Jesus in prayer, reminding yourself that He wants to be with you even in your difficult moments.

Prayer Prompt: "Jesus, thank You for not being afraid of my mess; today, I need your help with..."