Give Yourself Some Grace–He Does!

“For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29

photo: Renae Bowman

The other day I was like butter.
Not the sappy, happy reference to butter; but the burning, splattering kind of butter.

The kind when you have every intention of melting it slowly and uniformly in a microwave but you rush the job and it becomes an exploded mess—dripping from the top and running down the sides and pooling all over that turning glass plate.   An aggravating mess that has to be cleaned up.

Last week—I had turned into that buttery mess. It was an epic melt down.

I was wronged, I was hurt, I was mad, and I ended up exploding.
Something that I had every right to get ticked off at, I took it to the splattering point. The melting started slowly in the morning, while I was all alone, and by the time I had an audience in the evening, I had chewed on and spewed out every possible thought and feeling over the subject. Y’all I was a beast.  I’ll flat out say it–I acted like a spoiled little kid. I unloaded my heart so it wouldn’t ache anymore—or so I thought.

Once the words were over, I could hear the echo in my own ears. It was ugly.
I hit a low point.
The mess was dripping all over the place.

I felt like I royally screwed up and lost so much ground in my walk of faith.
Once again, I had to bow my head in shame before our King because I messed up in the whole be good to others part of life. I felt unworthy to be called a follower—and I know other’s eyes were seeing this, too.

And I started the mantra:
Why can’t I get it right in this area of my life!! I’m not worthy!

And I felt a gentle hand lift up my chin so our eyes could meet. I heard the words, through The Word—

Oh daughter, you can’t earn grace! You can’t earn your way to me! That’s why I gave you the cross. You are going to mess up—royally sometimes—even when you’re doing everything else right. You’re going to backslide, side-slide, upside-down-slide—you’re going to screw it up sometimes. But, that is the beauty of you and me together in this life. It is the difference between madeup religion and truthful belief. You can’t earn your way into heaven. You can’t earn your way to salvation. You can’t earn your way to perfection. Your mix-ups and mess-ups are going to happen…you’re not perfect. But I am! I am!

I truly felt all of that after the dust settled.
It was a comfort to an old problem. You see I’m used to giving myself 50 lashes for the mess-ups. I’m used to punishing myself endlessly when I don’t live up to the standards. I’m used to making myself lowly in times of trouble. But Jehovah Nacham—The Comforter, is teaching me new ways.

And I’m wondering if you might need some companionship in this area, too? I’m wondering if we could be side-by-side on this and help each other along the way. I’m wondering if we can believe that the melt-downs in our lives can be the build-ups of our faith?

We’re going to mess up. We’re going to have meltdowns. The topics may be different but the actions will be the same. The explosions happen.
Parents with your kids.
Wives with your husbands.
Husbands with your wives.
Siblings with your blood.
The list goes on…

It happens.

Words get said. Boiling points are reached. Spillage occurs. Hearts ache.

And when it does—the King is waiting.
Not to punish but to provide.
Not to belittle but to raise up.
Not to condemn but to console.

This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where Grace happens. This is where the meaning of a Cross cancels out the meanness in our hearts.

May I encourage you today to give yourself a little grace no matter the problem? Whatever the situation that is sitting on your heart right now, whatever the ache for your recent actions, whatever is causing you to say you are not worthy—replace it with grace—God has!
Certainly we are called to be more Christ-like in our lifetime and “do better”—no doubt, but we are not called to be an executioner of ourselves because we mess up. That is not God speaking, that is guilt spewing.

If you’re cleaning up a drippy mess of exploding emotions right now, or if it happens in the future, hear your God loud and clear…

Child I still love you! Child you will NOT be perfect. Child, you will mess up. You will let your emotions get the best of you and react in ways I don’t want you to, but…you’re still my baby. You’re still my heart’s desire. You’re still worth all that I sacrificed for.

I pray that you and I will grow in Christ—always. But, I also pray that you and I will understand His grace when we stumble. For when we do, that is when He meets us in the lows and lifts us to the highs. That is Grace. That is Love. That is God.