Grace vs Guilt

I am worn out. We moved all three days of our weekend and next weekend we still have two more moves to go. We are moving a lot of our things to our office and we have to move two kids from two different places into their house. Ugh. I have officially decided I am too old for this mess. I just made a deal with Hubby that our next move is our forever Oklahoma home! Part of us moving here was to help us in making that decision. Hubby is a simplistic person and he’d prefer to enjoy his weekends and not have chores to do, he thinks. So, we are trying out Midtown and we will see if this fits best before we buy or if we want land and to be out of town somewhere. I imagine a couple of years here and we will know what we want.

This morning I was working on putting things in their new places and an old song came on that I love, Grace Wins by Matthew West. The song talks about how we feel guilty, but God’s grace wins every time. I don’t know about you but I bear a highly guilty conscience. Anytime anything goes on between me and a friend, though I may have blown up and thought I knew “right” in the moment, I will still think on it for quite some time with Jesus. I want to find my part. I do it with Hubby too. Several years ago and again two weeks ago he told me he doesn’t know anyone who is willing to admit their faults and work on them like I do. That is such a high compliment, I want to live up to it, thank you again Hubby. I don’t want to hurt another human being, this world is hard enough and their are enough unhappy people to hurt us all. I don’t want to be one of those people. On the other hand, I know that God will use what happened for the good of all involved, He promises that in Romans 8:28. Isn’t that grace vs. guilt?

I went to lunch with a dear friend last week whom I’ve know since my first year in Oklahoma City. She is such a talented, gifted, beautiful woman. We get together every few years and catch up and I love that time. My heart has always gone out to her though because she doesn’t know Jesus. She knows and hates religion, like many of us do. Like Jesus does. Religion is man-made, relationship is heart felt. Jesus wants relationship with us and when we have that He’s already defeated guilt with His grace. Fortunately, today I can get to His grace rather quickly. What I hate for my friend is that she doesn’t have that. She doesn’t know that Someone loves her unconditionally and created her for His purpose and plan. I know that when I am in my darkest places, and she is in some of those today, I can go to the God who loves me and thinks I am super special. I told her that I want everyone to find Jesus in this world but that comfort without Him would be what I wanted for her next. I hate seeing people suffer, not realizing they are bound to the lies of the enemy because they don’t have eyes to see or ears to hear. How do we, as Jesus followers, lead them to His heart without chasing them away?

She has been exposed to religion a lot in her life, mostly in her childhood. She said she nearly picked the way of the Mormon religion because of their family values and how they treat one another. I get it. Christians have not set the bar much higher than non-Christians, only Christians use that position to judge when that isn’t even our job. I’m grateful I don’t have to sit in that guilt anymore and that when conversations start playing out in my head, I have some place to go. God is my refuge and strength (Ps 62:7) and His grace is sufficient for me (2 Cor 12:9). I want her to know that sufficiency of His grace and all that He has to offer her. Frankly, I want her gifts and talents in the family of God to do His will and service. I’ve known her for 17 years and she always remains, that is a promising sign that I am loving her well. My goal is to make sure that she knows she is loved by me so that she can know that she is loved by God. I didn’t know how to do that well until recently so I am grateful that somehow Jesus loved her through me for a lot of years when I was so messed up. I am grateful He has loved many women through me over the years and I pray that continues until it’s my time to go Home.

My heart for you is that you have a relationship with the living, breathing God of our universe and Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit that dwells in you when you receive Jesus as your Lord. He loves you. He created you for a purpose and plan. He wants you to prosper in this life and He will make the way when you trust Him and give Him your heart. God bless!

“I love those who love Me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full.” Prov 8:17-21NIV

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11