A Mess in a Dress: Getting Past Your Past

Wednesdays are turning into one of my favorite days! We are Blogging through the book The Gospel of Yes by Mike Glenn. This means we can read it together chapter by chapter and discuss it here like a book club. It is not too late to catch up with us. You can get a copy of the book here. (affiliate link)

Chapters Six and Seven

My grandmother used to look at me on Sunday mornings as I ran around the church in my Sunday frock, and say "that girl is a mess in a dress". She said it with affection and humor, but it was true on so many levels.

I was a mess when God said yes. To be honest, I still am a bit of a mess. I have issues. I have a past.
I am also willing to bet you do too.


If you are letting your past hold you back from experiencing the fullness of God's yes, then you are missing the point. There is freedom and recovery in God's yes: freedom from what is holding you back and recovery from what has hurt and scarred you.

"We all have a past. Even though we find new life in Christ, no one starts from zero. Your life and mine, like any good story have a prequel." Mike Glenn, The Gospel of Yes, page 90

I have shared with you my prequel: I was an adulteress, and God healed my marriage. I was a child of divorce and God wanted me anyway. I have a story and it is messy because life is messy. We are messy.

God is not afraid of your mess. Jesus doesn't judge you because you have a past. The woman caught in adultery in the Bible was brought before Jesus. He said "Go and sin no more." No judging, no condemning. He just spoke life and sent her forward.

"Jesus in not unaware of the mess you are in, and he knows better than anyone that you can't fix it on your own. The mess you are in is why he came. And now that he is here, it makes no sense to waste any more time. So get started. Jesus will start wherever you are. " page 97

 What Makes the Gospel Great? 

The Gospel is great because it is the story of God choosing us in our brokenness, in our messiness, and Jesus revealing the love of the Father to us.

This means God chose you. From the beginning He chose you. You have a purpose, you have a reason for being. Just existing is no longer an option. You now have heard God's yes! Embrace it. Let it begin to change you. Renew the way you think about yourself, about the world, and about God. This yes from God changes everything!

This yes takes your mess and begins to make something beautiful in spite of it. From the inside out we are becoming something totally new!

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) 

You do not need to "fix" anything first. The truth is you can't. Only what Christ did for us can fix our brokenness.

Get Over Yourself! 

I know how to hold on. Tightly. I held onto my pain, my hurts, my past for a very long time. I hid behind a fake smile on Sundays so no one at church would know my pain. I was not fooling anyone. I certainly was not fooling God. 

I believed that God could heal and could change lives, just not mine. By believing God was good enough for everyone else but me I was making the gospel void. I made God to be a liar. I was wrong! 

If you are holding on to your past hurts and brokenness, get over yourself. I mean this in as much love as I can muster. Really. Let it go. God said yes and He wants to heal you from it all. He wants the chains to fall off and your new reality to be freedom and joy, not bondage and pain. 

God says "yes" to you. Say yes to Him. 

"Our lives may begin in a mess, but they end with a Divine Yes!" Mike Glenn, The Gospel of Yes page 100

Join the Conversation:

What was your "prequel"? Share a part of your story with us. Leave a comment (it can be long or short) with us. Click on "Add a Comment" below.


Blogging Through the Book is a group of bloggers who literally blog while reading the book. It’s different than merely reading a book and posting a review. We have a chance to read and share our thoughts in our community. Click HERE to find out about other blogger's perspectives on these chapters and join the discussion!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”