Victoria Osteen, wife of Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church, says the Bible tells Christians to "come boldly to the throne of grace and receive mercy." However, many Christians are apprehensive about approaching God because of their sins.
"How many times do people shrink back or hide from God because they aren't sure if He accepts them? Maybe they have guilt, condemnation or fear," she writes on her blog.
People's misconceptions about how God views them, Osteen says, ultimately affect their relationship with Him. This is exactly what happened to the first two people God ever created – Adam and Eve.
"They sinned and hid from God (As if you can really hide from God). But God doesn't want us to hide from Him; He wants us to come boldly to Him so He can give us His mercy. He's saying today, 'I don't care what you've done, come to Me. Let Me make you whole and new again,'" shares Osteen.
She says there are some people who can be approached openly while others can only be approached with caution. But as for God, people should always approach Him "boldly."
The pastor's wife – who has written several books such as "Unexpected Treasures" and "Gifts From the Heart" – reminds Christians that it doesn't matter to God how many times they've made a mistake, and it also doesn't matter how many times they've "blown it." This is because His love for people is unconditional.
"God is always ready to receive you with open, loving arms. In fact, He's already forgiven you for anything you've done in the past and anything you will do in the future," she says. "Have confidence in His love, come boldly, and receive His grace and mercy today!"
