MOTION: Living BeyondSample

LIVING BEYOND: My Mistakes 

Despite what I’ve done, I will make a daily choice to receive God’s grace.

Have you ever seen a child get in trouble? Instinctively they shrink back, avoid eye contact, and immediately feel the need to hide. Why is this? Because no matter how young or old, we all naturally respond to shame in the same way. 

When Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden, they immediately hid from the Lord. Shame and guilt convinced them that God no longer desired to be in relationship with them because of what they had done. Approaching God became their last resort instead of their first response. 

So many times we disqualify ourselves to receive God’s grace because we’re convinced that a perfect God could never love an imperfect person.  The truth is, God’s love for us is not based on our performance. It’s based on who He is. God’s love is nonnegotiable. He knew all the mistakes we would make, yet He still chose to send Jesus to pay the debt that we could never pay. 

Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This means that no matter what you’ve done and no matter what mistakes you’ve made, God still desperately desires to have a relationship with you. Where you see guilt and shame, He sees grace and freedom. God’s not looking to condemn us for the mistakes we’ve made. He’s wanting to set us free. 

But freedom is a choice. In order to let go of our past, we must daily choose to receive God’s love as the ultimate payment for our sins. God promises that when we do this He will give us new life, and life abundantly. No matter what you’ve done, it’s time to let go and receive God’s grace for your life.