I am writing this in my pajamas because I have no clean jeans to wear and have to wait on my laundry to finish before I go public. I really should have done some before now instead of letting it all pile up, but I just let it go and now I am stuck and errands I need to run are being delayed.
It can be like that with our spiritual lives as well. We can let sins and attitudes build up without taking proper steps to deal with them immediately. We hang onto certain sins because they are pleasurable rather than taking them to God and seeking help to overcome them. There are always consequences when we don’t let go of sins and negative attitudes in whatever fashion they may come. Losing the sense of closeness to God and to others is first and foremost, and our sense of well-being is lost. We do harm to others, too, in our reluctance to deal with sin right away. Racism is one example of the consequence of harboring sin, so are violence and infidelity and a thousand other consequences, big and small.
I could make an endless list, but that is not what this is about. It is about letting sins pile up and then expecting no negative consequences. When Jesus walked among us, he repeatedly said to repent because the Kingdom of God was at hand. But he knew that it would be impossible for us to do that without help, so God provided it in the form of the Holy Spirit. The death and resurrection of Christ made the way for salvation and opened our hearts for the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is our Motivator to deal with sin, but we sometimes ignore the promptings to our peril, be it little or great.
My laundry is just an inconvenience in the big picture of life, but it is a reminder to me to not let the more important things go as if it doesn’t matter. It does and I would do well to heed the lesson. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will bring my sins and negative attitudes to God for forgiveness promptly and not let them pile up. Jesus paid the price so I could do just that, so it’s time now to get my spiritual laundry taken care of.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Guilt Trap
I am home today having taken a day of sick leave. I rarely take one, mainly because I am a healthy person, but also because I feel guilty when I do. I always have. I have earned a lot of sick days and should use them if I need to, but I just feel guilty when I do.
Sometimes I can feel guilt over other things that I really shouldn’t. Things for which scripture says I no longer need to. Guilt that is misplaced and unnecessary and I know I am not alone. Christians sometimes feel guilt when they should not.
Guilt is a form of bondage that holds us hostage and interferes with our spiritual lives and our emotions. I feel guilty when I sin, but that is a proper guilt and I rush to ask forgiveness, but guilt should stop then and there. Sometimes, it doesn’t. Sometimes I cannot let go of the feeling regardless of what scripture says. I tend to view sin as having differing levels in my life and God will judge them accordingly. Some sins are worse than others and the more I think about a sin, the greater the guilt. I think others feel that way, too, at times.
What we forget is that our sins were judged at the cross and have been forever stricken from the book of our lives. Only what we do now for Jesus matters. Guilt over what has been forgiven interferes with our communion with God and causes an emotional response that depresses and can even induce fear. We get trapped in it so easily, living with guilt that is no longer our due. God must grieve over it, knowing he has done all so we could live free from its torment and bondage.
When in that place, I talk to other believers who can extend God’s grace to me, to be accepting of me so I can accept that God has truly forgiven and there is no record of my wrongs. The pain of guilt is real and I find when others stand in for God and extend the grace needed it eases the pain.
Just as Jesus was the face of God when he was here, so too, are believers. As his representatives, we have the power to offer God’s grace to our brothers and sisters, and to remind once again that he has forever removed the guilt of our sin. It is done.
Sometimes I can feel guilt over other things that I really shouldn’t. Things for which scripture says I no longer need to. Guilt that is misplaced and unnecessary and I know I am not alone. Christians sometimes feel guilt when they should not.
Guilt is a form of bondage that holds us hostage and interferes with our spiritual lives and our emotions. I feel guilty when I sin, but that is a proper guilt and I rush to ask forgiveness, but guilt should stop then and there. Sometimes, it doesn’t. Sometimes I cannot let go of the feeling regardless of what scripture says. I tend to view sin as having differing levels in my life and God will judge them accordingly. Some sins are worse than others and the more I think about a sin, the greater the guilt. I think others feel that way, too, at times.
What we forget is that our sins were judged at the cross and have been forever stricken from the book of our lives. Only what we do now for Jesus matters. Guilt over what has been forgiven interferes with our communion with God and causes an emotional response that depresses and can even induce fear. We get trapped in it so easily, living with guilt that is no longer our due. God must grieve over it, knowing he has done all so we could live free from its torment and bondage.
When in that place, I talk to other believers who can extend God’s grace to me, to be accepting of me so I can accept that God has truly forgiven and there is no record of my wrongs. The pain of guilt is real and I find when others stand in for God and extend the grace needed it eases the pain.
Just as Jesus was the face of God when he was here, so too, are believers. As his representatives, we have the power to offer God’s grace to our brothers and sisters, and to remind once again that he has forever removed the guilt of our sin. It is done.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Strength in Numbers
One thing I have not really shared about is my fear of crowds. Being with a lot of people in close proximity can induce a panicky response. I simply cannot be in those situations if at all possible. When there are a lot of people in the building I work in, I feel anxious. I get anxious when I go to the grocery store because it is a rather confined space with a lot of people. My husband goes with me. When he is with me, I don’t have that feeling most of the time. I think I feel that things are under control and will be okay. I also have medication for panic.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is really at work in this. It is his presence that I sense through my husband. Would it be better if I could just go it alone without the panic? Probably so, but there is a lesson in this. God doesn’t intend for us to be Lone Rangers when it comes to our spiritual life. The bible says that it’s better for two to be together because if one falls down, the other is there to pick him up. Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs. There was a need for them to be together and not be on their own.
There is indeed strength in numbers because we all have differing capacities and gifts. Where one is weak, the other is strong, and we all have our weaknesses both physical and spiritual. Sometimes we cannot pray as we need to, others are there to pick up the slack. Sometimes a difficult decision needs to be made and others are there to counsel us. Simply put, we need each other to walk through this world we temporarily abide in, too much is at stake.
I don’t know if my fear of crowds will ever go away, but God has made provision for me and he has made provision for all his children to compensate for our weaknesses. He has done so by giving us each other. The body of Christ is beautiful, peopled by those who love Jesus and seek to be like him, growing together in grace. Like it says in the song Jesus Loves me, I am weak, but he is strong, and he makes his strength present to us as the Holy Spirit shows himself through all.
The presence of the Holy Spirit is really at work in this. It is his presence that I sense through my husband. Would it be better if I could just go it alone without the panic? Probably so, but there is a lesson in this. God doesn’t intend for us to be Lone Rangers when it comes to our spiritual life. The bible says that it’s better for two to be together because if one falls down, the other is there to pick him up. Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs. There was a need for them to be together and not be on their own.
There is indeed strength in numbers because we all have differing capacities and gifts. Where one is weak, the other is strong, and we all have our weaknesses both physical and spiritual. Sometimes we cannot pray as we need to, others are there to pick up the slack. Sometimes a difficult decision needs to be made and others are there to counsel us. Simply put, we need each other to walk through this world we temporarily abide in, too much is at stake.
I don’t know if my fear of crowds will ever go away, but God has made provision for me and he has made provision for all his children to compensate for our weaknesses. He has done so by giving us each other. The body of Christ is beautiful, peopled by those who love Jesus and seek to be like him, growing together in grace. Like it says in the song Jesus Loves me, I am weak, but he is strong, and he makes his strength present to us as the Holy Spirit shows himself through all.
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