Here I am writing this on my phone instead of my laptop. Why am I doing that you ask... Well there are many excuses but the truth of the matter is that I didn't prioritize writing this week. When I had the time to write I chose "other things". Of course not all of those "other things" were bad, such as, spending time with extended family I haven't seen in years, going to work, taking care of my families needs, or attending a Bible study. In fact many of those choices were God inspired. Some of the other things, such as, watching another episode of Gilmore Girls, taking a nap, or doing some online shopping could have easily been delayed. No matter if it was a good or bad reason, I still choose something over God and that makes me feel guilty. I suspect that I am not the only one who has felt this way.
The question that arises in my mind in times when I feel guilty for what I have done and what I have failed to do is where is this guilt coming from? Is this guilt healthy or inappropriately placed? The answers to both of these questions can be easy if we just take a look at where our guilt leads us. If my guilt encourages me to make needed changes or leads me to take a look at what I put important on, then it is healthy. If my guilt causes me to become bitter or resentful towards what God is calling me to do then it is unhealthy.
We have to remember that God is asking us to choose His way over the other things in this world. Unfortunately, many times I choose wrong or take the broad path instead of the narrow one. In these times my eyes are opened to my own sinfulness and I can see just how easy it is to veer off track. The good news is that when we go down the wrong path, God has grace for us. God’s grace looks like favor toward the unworthy. In other words, grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely and the peace of God given to the restless.
Many times the problem isn't that God isn't giving us grace but that we are not accepting of it or we are not allowing ourselves to give ourselves grace when we mess up. I am very guilty of this... I know what I am capable of and when I don't measure up to that I get upset with myself. I treat myself harshly and unkindly. That is not how God wants us to treat ourselves. He wants us to see ourselves as He sees us. He sees us as His beloved child worth of this love regarding of our actions.
So maybe this weeks post is short and to the point... it might just be what someone needed to read or most accurately it might have been what this writer needed to write so that she could understand that the blog is not about her at all. It is not about having the best posts on the internet but to having spirit led content that doesn't have a word count minimum. So God bless and give yourself a little grace!
Created via my iPhone
(I thought it was both comical and accurate due to the current situation)
P. S. Thanks for giving me grace even when I don't give it to myself!