mistakes | considering the word

When I got to the couch this morning to do my devotions, I moved the couch pillow and discovered crumbs from my son’s snack of chips last night. “Ugh!” was my immediate reaction. Then I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me. So I left them there, took a picture, and opened up my Bible to Psalm 103.

The Lord redeems our lives from destruction. He crowns us with lovingkindness & tender mercies. He is merciful & gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. The Lord has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to them, but sent His Son as the Way of salvation.

The Lord’s mercy is a great as the heavens are high, and He removes our sins and mistakes from us. He pities us as a father pities his children. (hmmmmm) He knows our frame, remembering that we are dust….

I thought about how many messes I have tried to hide or cover up. I thought about how many crumbs I’ve left behind in my life and how many mistakes I’ve made. Yet, my heavenly Father continually has mercy upon me, and He pities me, remembering my frame.

How will I react towards my son’s little chip mess here beside me? Will I guide him? Absolutely. Will I be a tyrant, lording over him the rules in frustration? After reading this, I cannot. Will I show mercy? That’s exactly what I will do. I’ve made my own mistakes, and I’ve been forgiven! I have to model the same forgiveness my Father shows me.

It may not be chips on your couch, but whatever situation you find yourself facing today, I pray you’ll remember to be slow to anger, to show mercy, and to deal in lovingkindness.

dusting myself off,

jamie

Reading through the first few chapters of Galatians this morning I was struck by the beauty of the gift of God’s grace–in the fact that He truly doesn’t judge us by our works.

This past week I’ve had several times where I’ve been able to let my guard down with people and just be me and it’s been so amazingly refreshing in a world where our performance is “king.”

It’s exhausting to have to perform constantly, because then you have to out-perform the next time, and the next time, and the next… but if we can just admit that “this is me” and I’m imperfect and although I’m doing the best I can, what I’m most grateful for is that God isn’t judging me on my performance. He loves me for who I am. If I have faith that He says who He say He is, then that’s enough for Him.

If, in our relationships with others, we can not expect people to perform to perfection, but love them for who they are…who they were created to be, we will be releasing them to be free from a burden that even God Himself didn’t place upon them.

Yes, we need to be responsible humans, and we should keep our word. But some days we’ll be brilliant and get it all done, and other days we’ll fall flat on our face. The performance of the day is not the sum total of who we are.

Gal. 4:7 says, “We are an heir of God through Christ.”

We are more than our mistakes. They happen. Get up. And keep moving. Apologize if necessary. Always forgive. Laugh about it if at all possible!

Tripping up,

jamie