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There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[a] 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,[c] he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us,who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
My hubby and I have always loved living in California. We've enjoyed 3 tours of duty in the Golden Bear state and been blessed to have 2 children born there and some of the best church family and pastors around supporting us through it.
It seems as though every time we've lived in Ca, the periods have been marked with huge growth for us. It's been our launching pad for future events. We always land back in Ca with our high ideals and radical love for the Lord waning and leave ready to hit the ground running to the next stage of life.
During one such time in our lives we found our ideals worn and we were simply trying to keep our head above water, dive into the Word and have some iron sharpen iron. We discussed our ideals and deep love of Jesus with the ones around us we cherish so and continued moving forward in our lives.
Grateful for the respite, we were shocked to have a conversation one day with a much beloved pastor concerning our ideals. The conversation was beauty in the making, although it did hurt. It appears we were seen as prideful about our ideals and seeking the Lord in all things for our growing family. Ouch! Something we never meant to happen or believed about ourselves on the inside needed a check. Toward the end of our time together our pastor mentioned, "Frankly, you are making other parents feel guilty." I'll never forget my husband's simple response. It was profound for me.
"Duh! Welcome to parenthood. We feel guilty all the time."
While certainly we needed to own our delivery of messages and ideals towards others, this message of guilt displayed for many came to the surface and we were able to connect better, bond better and strengthen our family in Christ together.
Yet, in the beauty of our beloved California, where waves crash, otters play, fog rolls in and heat is held back by mountains: how could we begin to grasp the freedom to live a not guilty life?
Responsible-YES! Life choosing- YES! Discipleship required- Certainly!
Recently in my life I've been where moms have no desire to go and have first hand knowledge of what it is to hear:
"Where did you get that idea? That's nonsense. This mom is not guilty of anything."
In that moment of complete relief and understanding, my message of living a not guilty life began to take shape.
I deeply desire to be a life giving, non condemned wife and mom to the Glory of Jesus.
I want to be God's girl, to be known and loved by Him completely and to express that love toward others.
Yet, we must take first steps in this direction towards not being found guilty. The verses of John 3:16 are clear to us. God gave His one and Only Son, that through Him, we'd have life to the full. The first step to being found not guilty is to place your life and trust in Jesus Christ.
More to come on this topic in the near future. I'm off to a great day with my kiddos!
