To me, taking a step back feels like I have failed.
Admitting that I’m struggling with something that I’ve had victory over in the
past makes me feel as though all the progress was for nothing. But stumbling
doesn’t mean that we have failed or are failures.
It means that
we are human.
There are some lessons that we need to learn over and
over again. There are some fears, some lies that we have to stand strong
against over and over again. Some mornings you need to wake up and forgive
all over again. Some mornings you need to proclaim truths all over again.
Some mornings you need to ask God for courage all over again.
Sometimes the most difficult person to show grace to is
yourself.
We say, “I shouldn’t struggle with this anymore, I shouldn’t
believe that lie anymore, I shouldn’t be that afraid anymore.”
But we are and we do anyway. Because we are not done being
made like Christ. We are afraid to share
our shortcomings, our backward steps with others, as though they aren’t holding
onto any themselves.
But God never condemns. He knows that it’s hard being human;
He knows that it’s hard living on this planet. It’s okay to not have it all
together, it’s okay to stumble and take a step backward, as long as you don’t
unpack and live there.
The good news is that God sent His spirit to live in us,
and that alone is what gives us the power to say no to sin and to believe truth. If you have accepted Jesus as your savior,
then the same power that raised Him from the dead lives inside you. That is incredible. There is power; all we have to do is call on His name.
Romans 6:11 Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in
Christ Jesus. Do not let sin reign in your body so that you obey its evil desires... For
sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the
law, but under grace.
It’s so easy for us to forget that God’s love for us is not
a result of our actions.
I know sometimes I go to God and say, “Look! I don’t do that
anymore, I do this more, look at how I’ve changed! Aren’t you proud of me?
Don’t you love me now?”
And my Dad shakes His head understandingly and reminds me
that He loved me before I even took a single breath.
We remember that we no longer have to be slaves to sin, that
sin no longer has any power over us. We may fall occasionally, but we DO NOT
have to live there.
The victory we have in Christ is being able to say, “God
help me,” and knowing that He will.
Something that I struggle with is forgiveness. Sometimes I
just don’t care that I’m supposed to forgive because all I’m feeling is hurt
and forgiveness just doesn’t seem right.
I ask God, “How could you possibly ask me to forgive that
person? Look at what they’ve done to me!”
And He replies, “Yes, I know. But look at what I’ve done FOR
you.”
If you are the one asking for forgiveness and the other
person isn’t able to extend forgiveness, just know that God always will.
There is power in the name of Jesus to break every single
chain that could possibly entangle you. There is no sin too bad, no person too
far, no pit too deep for God’s power to save, rescue, and redeem. No matter
what you’ve done, no matter where you’ve been, no matter how long or far you
have strayed, God welcomes you back with open arms. You are not the exception,
there are no exceptions. Jesus loves prodigals.
Every day I thank God that I am not dressed in my own righteousness,
I am dressed in His. If I had to rely on my own power, my own strength, I
wouldn’t make it a day.
I am so glad I can go to God and tell Him exactly how unbearably difficult it currently is for me to forgive. I am so glad that He is not up in heaven shaking His head in annoyance that I still struggle over the same hurt. I know that any time, morning, afternoon, middle of the night I can cry out to Him and say, "Lord help me to forgive, but more than that, help me WANT to forgive."
What are some things that you need to call out to God about? Where are the areas in your life that you have not trusted in God's power to give you victory?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uu2RDZdaxc
