..Free to Live for You.

Psalm 147

 ¹ Praise the LORD.^[a]    How good it is to sing praises to our God,
   how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
 ² The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
   he gathers the exiles of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted
   and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars
   and calls them each by name.
⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
   his understanding has no limit.
⁶ The LORD sustains the humble
   but casts the wicked to the ground.
 ⁷ Sing to the LORD with grateful praise;
   make music to our God on the harp.
 ⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;
   he supplies the earth with rain
   and makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ He provides food for the cattle
   and for the young ravens when they call.
 ¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
   nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
¹¹ the LORD delights in those who fear him,
   who put their hope in his unfailing love. 


The past few weeks have felt pretty heavy--mentally and emotionally. They have been full of new things and God has been so near. I am taking six classes right now, and all six of them are about life. Life as a Christian woman, life in ministry, issues that people struggle with in life, how to help people who struggle with issues in life, and more. They have been so rich, as I'm sure they will continue to be. But one theme that keeps weighing heavily on me through these classes is how messed up our world truly is. How people are hurting, and crying out for someone to hear them. For someone to pay attention to them. For someone, anyone, to care. And I've noticed that it is no different in Christian bubbles. It's possibly worse. Because as Christians, we somehow have this unrealistic idea that people expect us to be perfect. That other Christians expect us to be perfect. We feel like we're going to be shunned if we admit fault, or admit that we're really struggling with something. That breaks my heart. As Christians, we should be a safe place for each other to unload. It's not our place to judge or make each other feel guilty. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts. God created us for community and for relationships. He gave us these for so many reasons, one of which is for growth. Proverbs 27:17- As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. I hate knowing that there are so many Christians out there who are struggling--deeply struggling--with sin, and feel like there is no hope for them, and feel too ashamed to talk to anyone about it. Regardless of what the sin is. The list is endless. There is FREEDOM from sin.

In one of my classes, we were just tested on "Ten Foundational Truths for Victorious Christian Living." One of them was "My sin does not have to continually make me feel guilty." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 goes through this long list of sin. The lifestyles people have who will not be with God eternally. But then in verse 11 Paul says, 

"And that is what some of you were [once]. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God." (Amplified)


That is truth. Pure and beautiful. Truth that brings life. If you are feeling broken and weighed down by guilt, I encourage you to take it to the Lord, and talk to a trusted friend. God has already paid for it. In full. With His life. He died to pay for it. Claim that truth! You are forgiven! You have grace! Walk in freedom, my friend. 


And if you know a friend who is struggling, show them with your friendship that they can come to you. Be worthy of their trust. I encourage you to be a safe place for them. Lift them to the Lord in prayer. Remember that it is not your job to convict. Lead them to the freedom God is offering. The freedom you have claimed in your own life.


God wants to take our lives and transform them. We are so filthy. We are so self-centered, and prideful, and judgmental, and about a million other things. But through our willing and trusting spirit, God takes all of that and he gets rid of it completely. He changes us from the inside out. And that change points to Him. It shows off what He can do with a miserable sinning nobody. And that's the point. That we would make much of Him!


    Praise the LORD.^[a]
   How good it is to sing praises to our God,
   how pleasant and fitting to praise him!