Jesus Paid It All

Today I am just sitting and reflecting on the way we relate to God. We "mess up" as we call it, and suddenly feel that all is lost. We are ashamed, as though our relationship with Him is now ruined and will not be able to be redeemed. But we forget that the journey is the whole point! Salvation is not an ending, but a beautiful beginning. We are going to fall....over and over again. But it's what we do in that moment that makes us who we are. It's what we do in that moment that shows the world-and God and ourselves-what we are truly made of. We don't need to feel ashamed.

These stumbles and falls are all a part of the walk of faith we are on. Jesus paid the price on the cross for us so that we could be redeemed. Not so we could go and sin anytime we wanted and never repent. But so that we could grow, change, and learn to be more like Him. I don't know about anyone else, but each time I have fallen-I have learned something from it. We are not meant to be perfect, we are simply meant to commune with God, learn from Him, and do His will on the Earth. When we don't get it quite right, we need to ask God what He wanted us to see about ourselves through that situation and how we can grow from it.

And we have heard the phrase "Jesus paid it all" so many times that I think we forget what that actually means. He paid for ALL of it. Not just the "big sins" as we call them, but the little ones that matter just as much. When we are impatient, rude, gossipy, self-serving. When we talk too much, pray too little, and can't seem to figure out why things aren't turning out right. He paid for that. His blood was shed so that we could be MORE than what we were when He found us. So, each time that you "fail" Him, ask Him to change your heart, so that next time you can handle the situation the way that He would. Always heed the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but never allow the devil to have a field day with you when you mess up. 

And be grateful that you are walking with the Lord, and that He is causing the Holy Spirit to convict you. Some people have ignored that voice so many times that they no longer hear it, or it is very faint.

Lately God has been showing me so many things that I thought were right, that were very wrong. I saw faith and salvation as so "black and white", cut and dried. I thought I understood the way the Lord thinks, but how could I? His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts higher than my thoughts. He doesn't spend so much time worrying about how I mess up or how often. He is more concerned with how I handle my mistakes and what I do afterward. Do I allow Him to show me a better way or do I continue trying to do it all myself? And I used to think that when I made a mistake I was so far away from God, but now I see that He often draws me closer during those times. So that He can reprove, rebuke, exhort....so that He can teach me a better way. Those are the moments when we are convicted and humbled, more ready to listen and much easier to teach.