Day 6 - Wherever You Are: Grace for Moms

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” (Romans 8:1-2, NLT)

As a child in Sunday school, I loved singing a song based on Titus 3:5. “He [God our Savior] saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” I grew up hearing that we don’t earn our salvation. And in school, I had memorized Bible verses about how our faith is what counts as righteousness. But I also knew the verses about how we were supposed to live and act.

All of this led me to inadvertently create my own twisted version of the truth. In my mind, God only listened to my prayers, granted me his help, and blessed me when I had sufficiently groveled and apologized for how I had previously wronged him or others.

And even after I had repented, I couldn’t be joyful. Surely being penitent and downtrodden for the rest of the day was a much better sign of true repentance than joy. How could I be joyful when I had caused pain to God and others I loved?

At night, instead of sleeping, I would review what I had done wrong that day, always vowing to myself and to God to do better. I unconsciously believed that holding on to my shame and punishing myself would keep me from messing up again.

Not surprisingly, this wasn’t working well. Who wants to talk to someone they think is disappointed and angry with them? Who wants to dream with someone they believe will remind them of their failures every time they misstep? And I definitely didn’t want to have my morning coffee with someone I thought required self-abasement before he would extend his love or true forgiveness.

As my relationship with God grew more and more distant, my sin seemed to move closer and closer. Holding on to the guilt and shame didn’t keep me from sinning—it just kept me from God.

Mama, you don’t have to be controlled or manipulated by the bullies of sin and shame. They will guilt and blackmail you into giving up your freedom. But through Jesus, God liberated us from sin’s control and rescued us from its consequences of death. Why stay chained to what God has already broken? You are free. So refuse to listen to the voice of condemnation any longer. Remind yourself that you are accepted by your Father and freed by the power of the Spirit.

Declare Out Loud over Yourself

• I live by the power of the life-giving Spirit and am no longer manipulated by sin and shame. They have no authority over me (based on Romans 8:1-2).

Declare Out Loud over Your Child

• [Child’s name] lives by the power of the life-giving Spirit and is no longer manipulated by sin and shame. They have no authority over [name].

Connect with Your Heavenly Father

• What is one (or more) thing(s) you’re thankful for? What is something you appreciate about who God is? Set a timer for one minute. Wherever you are, pause and rest in his presence.