IN HIM we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7

Recently, my eyes were opened to a false belief that was weighing me down.  See in my reading at some point I misunderstood what it meant to blessed.  Now I’m a perfectionist by nature, so it isn’t any surprise that when I focused on obedience I spent countless hours searching the Bible for every guideline, condemnation, suggestion, law, rule and everything in between.  I studied the beatitudes and the 10 commandments.   I was becoming overwhelmed!  Not only was I overwhelmed but frustrated because I felt I was still missing something.   I was pretty confident I was obeying, I wasn’t worshiping false gods, I hadn’t committed murder or adultery, but there was something else I HAD to be missing because I couldn’t see the blessings in my life.  So after much consideration I determined that if it wasn't ME holding our family back from His blessings it HAD to be my husband!  So, not only was I hard on myself I started becoming hard on HIM!  I started pointing out his sins, I started focusing on everything he was doing wrong and it was driving him nuts. After one particular blow out, I felt terrible and humbled to tears.  Here I was trying so desperately to be a “good Christian” yet I was being a terrible person to the one man that God appointed in my life to be my partner.  I was seriously convicted and immediately apologized to my husband (at which he stared quizzically at me and was a bit dumbfounded). I was becoming such an irritable stick in the mud!

 I turned to God and sought his direction.   That very weekend,  He gently put his arm around me, as God so often does, and in a series of events that really did feel divinely orchestrated, He opened my eyes to the fact that nothing I DO really secures blessing in my life.  Jesus already did the hard work for all of us!  It is because of our faith in Christ that we were and continue to be saved.  Yes, I should watch my steps but more importantly I had to take my eyes off of ME and put my eyes on the Lord.   By being so legalistic and wanting to do every just so, I was hoping to get a pat on the head from Christ, at the same time I was also killing my own joy as well as driving a wedge in my marriage.  I already have his acceptance and love; I don’t have to earn anything.  Jesus suffered for me on the cross and by his sacrifice I earned salvation and by my faith in Jesus I am “In Him.”   What an amazing love!  Where else can we find such true unconditional love?  By believing in Jesus, by our desire to know him more, by seeking Him in his word and through devotion our hearts change and obedience no longer becomes what we know it as here on earth (do your chores or you’ll be punished, follow the traffic law or you’ll face an expensive ticket and a day at the courthouse) but obedience becomes second nature to us because our desires change and as we become filled with Christ’s love, we lighten up!  We lighten up on others too, we allow room for mistakes and allow room for love.  Then our lives are blessed for His glory.

Thank you Lord for your love.  When I really stop to focus on your love it is so unlike anything here on earth.  We only know facets of it here in this worldly place and we only spot it randomly and less often then we should.  But, when we stop holding you to a human perspective it is such an awesome and glorious love.  I praise your Holy name and am so genuinely grateful.   Amen