A rambling post!
I'm a thinker. I think a lot and not always can my heart express in words what I want to say. Because I can't always express what I'm feeling, thinking or wanting to say it get me into trouble. So please just bear with me as I ramble along.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. - Romans 3:23-24
I've been thinking about this verse a lot lately. Thinking about it way back from 2011 when we were having a conversation in the bible study that I went to about how the Holy Spirit works on convicting everyone of certain sins at different times. The example a girl used was downloading movies and music, she felt convicted that it was wrong to do and another girl didn't feel that was a bad thing. Does that mean we hate that person who illegally downloads movies and music. Is it wrong? Yes, but for that other person the Holy Spirit was working in a different area.
I've been thinking about how I live my life. How I get angry and at timea lash out at my kids and husband for things that aren't their fault but are things that have built up in me and have finally bubbled out. Should I as a Christian admit that I get angry, that I get frustrated, that I lie, that in the past I have stolen, I've judged and that I have cheated? Wait as a Christian shouldn't I be perfect? Thankfully because of this wonderful verse - Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No...I don't have to be perfect. I strive hard to listen to the Holy Spirit and God's teaching but I will fail because I am human and I am not perfect. I hate that people feel that because we are Christians it means that we are perfect and that we don't make mistakes.
I hate that the church gets blamed for so many things when it's the Christians who make mistakes and go to church. People say that they don't want to go to church because the people that go are hypocrites. Yup, people who go to church are liars, hypocrites, gossips, murders, idolaters, those who have had affairs or any of the many sins that God has told we are not supposed to do. The wonderful thing is that even though we daily sin and make mistakes God forgives and the Holy Spirit nudges us so that we have the ability to change things that we do wrong. But it's a daily process and the the wonderful thing that God gives us is grace. Grace to make mistakes and make errors.
I am seeing a trend around the world where places that were once were "Christian" nations are struggling with having people attend church and who would even struggle to say that they are Christians. Is it because of the rules or is it because of the culture we are living in? Is it because people don't want to hear hard truths about how they are sinners and need a God who came down from heaven to die for our sins and then we are able to have fellowship with others? I struggle with issues (sin) that maybe other people don't struggle with. I am a Christian and a sinner who thankfully has been saved by grace by a wonderful Heavenly Father.
I struggle daily to live my life to show others the love that Jesus so freely gave us. I pray that God will use me to share the love that Jesus freely gives. That I don't judge others for the sawdust in their eyes. Because I am a sinner who the Holy Spirit is working on. I am a work in progress and I pray daily that God will use me, the lowly sinner that I am.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. - Romans 3:23-24
I've been thinking about this verse a lot lately. Thinking about it way back from 2011 when we were having a conversation in the bible study that I went to about how the Holy Spirit works on convicting everyone of certain sins at different times. The example a girl used was downloading movies and music, she felt convicted that it was wrong to do and another girl didn't feel that was a bad thing. Does that mean we hate that person who illegally downloads movies and music. Is it wrong? Yes, but for that other person the Holy Spirit was working in a different area.
I've been thinking about how I live my life. How I get angry and at timea lash out at my kids and husband for things that aren't their fault but are things that have built up in me and have finally bubbled out. Should I as a Christian admit that I get angry, that I get frustrated, that I lie, that in the past I have stolen, I've judged and that I have cheated? Wait as a Christian shouldn't I be perfect? Thankfully because of this wonderful verse - Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No...I don't have to be perfect. I strive hard to listen to the Holy Spirit and God's teaching but I will fail because I am human and I am not perfect. I hate that people feel that because we are Christians it means that we are perfect and that we don't make mistakes.
I hate that the church gets blamed for so many things when it's the Christians who make mistakes and go to church. People say that they don't want to go to church because the people that go are hypocrites. Yup, people who go to church are liars, hypocrites, gossips, murders, idolaters, those who have had affairs or any of the many sins that God has told we are not supposed to do. The wonderful thing is that even though we daily sin and make mistakes God forgives and the Holy Spirit nudges us so that we have the ability to change things that we do wrong. But it's a daily process and the the wonderful thing that God gives us is grace. Grace to make mistakes and make errors.
I am seeing a trend around the world where places that were once were "Christian" nations are struggling with having people attend church and who would even struggle to say that they are Christians. Is it because of the rules or is it because of the culture we are living in? Is it because people don't want to hear hard truths about how they are sinners and need a God who came down from heaven to die for our sins and then we are able to have fellowship with others? I struggle with issues (sin) that maybe other people don't struggle with. I am a Christian and a sinner who thankfully has been saved by grace by a wonderful Heavenly Father.
I struggle daily to live my life to show others the love that Jesus so freely gave us. I pray that God will use me to share the love that Jesus freely gives. That I don't judge others for the sawdust in their eyes. Because I am a sinner who the Holy Spirit is working on. I am a work in progress and I pray daily that God will use me, the lowly sinner that I am.
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