Saturday, in a much needed conversation with a dear friend, I exclaimed to her, “I am not a good person!” She burst into laughter and agreed that she isn’t a good person either. I felt so human at that moment — in the best way possible.

As with all great interactions, I ruminated on our conversation. As I replayed it, I heard myself say again, “I am not a good person,” and the Spirit brought a scripture to mind.

⁶When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. ⁷Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ⁹And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. ¹⁰For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. ¹¹So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Romans 5:6-11

I smiled as I took the full weight of this verse into my spirit. God didn’t wait for me to be good enough to send Jesus to die for my sins. While I was still completely human, and not good enough, God showed his great love for me by sending Jesus to restore my friendship with himself.

Today, my heart rejoices in my wonderful relationship with God. He didn’t wait for me to be good and he isn’t expecting me to be now. He loves me exactly the way I am on this very day! And I am so glad about that!

How about you? Are you feeling your humanness in an especially poignant way? Is it getting the best of you? Don’t despair! God’s love for you is in no way lessened nor is he surprised at your humanity. He really digs it, actually.