Are You Ready to Let Jesus Take It?

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Last month a group of writers gathered at a restaurant to talk about projects, roadblocks, and all things writer-life-related. 

We ordered soups, appetizers, coffee, and tea. At some point during our animated discussion, someone noticed the organizer of the gathering putting away her wallet.

“Did you just pay for us?” one asked.

“Yes, I did,” she said with a grin.

“You really didn’t have to do that!” we each agreed.

She paid without any fanfare because I suspect she anticipated the chorus of polite pushback.

We’re reluctant to accept random acts of kindness like this one. It feels wrong that one person should bear the burden and give us a whole lot of something in return for nothing.

It’s humbling. It’s gratitude-inspiring. But what about when the bill isn’t for money but sin? And the payment isn’t bills and coins but a life?

He Already Took It

In Max Lucado’s book, Anxious for Nothing, he talks about the day when we will all be brought into God’s presence:

“On the day when I appear before the judgment seat of God, I will point to Christ. When my list of sins is produced, I will gesture toward him and say, ‘He took it.’ Let him take yours.”

The peace-making, doesn’t-wanna-intrude-on-anyone part of me rejoices to hear the news that Jesus paid my bill. It was done in the past. It’s finished. And I know it wasn’t one I could ever pay anyway. 

But the words Max uses aren’t ones of passive, sit-back-and-take-it acceptance. 

Think of it like this. In one scenario, you graciously thank the person who secretly paid a restaurant bill on your behalf. In another scenario, you point to someone at your table and say, “Her. Let her pay the bill for me.” 

One attitude says, “There’s nothing I could’ve done to change Jesus’s plan anyway, so I might as well accept what he did.” The other says, “Him. I need him to do what I cannot do.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t love feeling incapable or inadequate. And I certainly don’t like to be a bother or a burden. So the thought of coming before God, list of my sins in hand, and then actively asking Jesus to stand in my place makes me a little queasy. 

One attitude says, “There’s nothing I could’ve done to change Jesus’s plan anyway, so I might as well accept what he did.” The other says, “Him. I need him to do what I cannot do.” #PathtoPeace #LetJesusTakeIt #JesusPaidItAll Click To Tweet

How to Let Him Take It

When my husband and I moved back from the middle east, I was twenty weeks pregnant, Josh was in between jobs, and we were temporarily living with my parents.

One afternoon my parents graciously presented their plan to furnish our first baby’s nursery. I didn’t even think about refusing their generous gift. 

Why? They love us. They knew we needed help. So we did the only thing we could do—we gratefully accepted.

There are a few differences between a new acquaintance paying for dinner and family members paying for a nursery:

1. I have a long-established relationship with my parents.
2. I know and trust in their love and care of me and my family.
3. They were offering to pay for something I couldn’t afford.

When we stand before God, we will be humbled, there is no doubt. But instead of shaking my head, and saying “No, no, Jesus, it’s okay, you don’t have to pay for me; let me see if I can work this out for myself,” I will readily and heartily say, “Yes, Jesus, I need you to stand in my place.”

We can say it, and we can let him take it because of the three reasons I listed above. He isn’t a stranger on the street. He is our friend, priest, king, confidant, and comforter. We can trust in his love and care of us because he tells us it is so: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And we know, deep to our core, that there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves before a holy God. 

So if you’re like me and the thought of pointing and asking unsettles you, rest in this knowledge. You and I can let him take it. He loves us, and he wants to pay the bill.

Starting Today

Right now, though, we aren’t standing before the judgment seat of God. On an ordinary weekday afternoon, are we just as eager to say, “Yes, I’ve fallen short; I need you to take and forgive, Jesus”? Or are we more likely to create excuses and explanations, trying to take control of our failures and flaws? 

Trying to manage our own mess-ups and control the chaos is like asking Jesus to step aside while we empty our pockets looking for spare change to pay the bill.

A plan like that doesn’t lead to peace. It does lead to regret, shame, and anxiety. 

So we can start practicing today. Our day before God may come fifty years from now, or it may come tomorrow. Then and today, we can point to Jesus and say, “He took it. I’m going to let him take it.”

Father God,

Our culture and society tell us to stand on our own two feet, make a way, muscle through, and not accept help. But in your kingdom, entrance is gained by accepting that we have sinned and fallen short of your glory. Today, if there’s an area in my life where I make excuses and turn a blind eye to sin, will you examine my heart and reveal it? I know I need Jesus on judgment day, but I need him today too—for forgiveness and freedom. Thank you, Jesus, for taking my sin. I am overwhelmed that you would do such a thing for me.

In Jesus’s sweet name,
Amen.

How do you feel when you think about standing before God on judgment day? Excited, worried, fearful, relieved, or something else? I’d love to hear in the comments!