“I’ll give this $20 to anyone who comes up here and takes it.”
The evangelist whipped out a bill and waved it in the air like a giant foam finger, but no one in the congregation moved. I wanted to but didn’t. The speaker repeated his offer. “This $20 belongs to anyone who will take it.” My intrepid husband leaped to his feet, strode forward and collected his gift. His smug smile provoked my envy.
“Salvation is a gift, freely given to anyone who will receive it.” The speaker’s unforgettable words enhanced his message, and many people acted upon his invitation that night to receive Christ.
Although I made the decision to receive salvation when I was only four years old, a bigger gift eluded me until I was 31. I affirmed many times that God loved me, but just as in the illustration above, I sat in the pew when it came time to act upon that knowledge. My ears heard the words, my brain acknowledged the truth, but my orphan heart was empty.
Most people like me—those who struggle to accept God’s love—have received salvation. We no longer fear going to hell. We acknowledge that God blesses people, but we have deep-seated feelings of unworthiness that cause us to reject the notion that God loves us in a deeply personal way.
I tell the story of my “eureka moment” in my video blog, which you can watch at this link: Video blog.
I’ll share with you the five little words that changed my life. If you suffer from an orphan heart, they will change yours, too.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12
