Mom Heart Moments #238

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

WHEN I DRESS UP AND LOOK LIKE a real adult at conferences, speaking passionately about all my ideals and commitments, it would be easy for me to give the illusion that I am a perfect person who has finally reached maturity. However, when I return home, I still have to live with myself! And myself is still sinful and selfish at heart. Even in the midst of grand ideals, I can still stumble and trip over the most menial issues like traffic, or a crowded seat on the plane, or a night without sleep.

We all live in this broken place, this place separated from perfect love and grace. It is not wrong to feel anger or depression or discouragement or deep fear or even hate. You are not an unattractive personality or person if you feel these things. Do not listen to the lie that it is all your fault and you stand condemned, as that only leads to despair and hopelessness.

The question is, what do we do with all of these feelings? You are not a bad person for being immature or even for feeling anger at the stress another sinful person brings to you. But how you live by faith in the next moments, how you speak to your own brain, will determine if you will become more free, more loving, more filled with grace and compassion, or if you will become a victim of the darkness caused by living in a sinful world.

It is best to not allow the “bad” people in your life to define you. You cannot make immature people mature. You cannot control how they behave. But you can control your own actions: what you think, practice, and cherish inside your heart. This is the foundation of your whole being.

Remember who you are: you are forgiven. You are royalty in the eyes of God. You are not your past; the old things have passed away, and all things have become new.