Give Yourself Grace

Author: Sarah Shanahan

Proverbs 4:23 CSB—Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.

Dishes are piled high.

The laundry is overflowing.

Email is going crazy.

Notifications are dinging left and right.

Kids are screaming.

To-do list is ever-growing.

And the list goes on.

These to-do’s used to consume me. I thought I had to have everything done off my list before dinner with the family so we could enjoy each other. I would work from 8-5 outside the home, rush to pick up my two children from daycare/school, and then rush to get everything done. And when it didn’t happen, I allowed it to ruin my evening, affecting myself and my whole family. I forgot to give myself grace!

In one of my bouts of cleaning with my kiddos asking for my attention and me saying, “Give me a minute,” I heard God say to me, “I have time for you right now!”

Pausing, He reminded me of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Martha had invited Jesus to her home, but she was so distracted by what she needed to do that she almost missed her chance to be with Jesus! I love how our Lord responded to Martha when she asked him to talk to Mary.

“Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary.”

Talk about a humbling moment.

There will always be something competing for our attention—we must be intentional with our time and resources. After all, nothing will ever be perfect.

Since we live in a sin-filled world, we can’t judge ourselves with the standard of perfection—if we do, we will fail every time.

It can be overwhelming—each day seems to bog us down with what needs to be done, and we can lose focus on our most important relationship with the Father. Give yourself grace; after all, God gave us all grace, so it’s only fair to give ourselves a little, too.

Recognize that everything may not get done or be to the standard you have set, but learn to focus on the most important things at that moment.

If we waste time being down on ourselves over a task not being done or life taking control, yet again, we fail to guard our hearts. What we allow into our thought life goes into our hearts. When we let negative thoughts drift in and consume us, it takes us further from His voice. If our anxieties take control, it becomes harder to hear the Father’s voice through the shouting thoughts swimming in our minds.

Be like Mary and sit at the feet of Jesus and let the rest fade away. Sometimes you will have to do it multiple times, especially in the beginning, as you learn to quiet out the noises. Don’t be discouraged; instead, persevere.

Always come back to the feet of Jesus.

Filling our hearts through time in scripture and time listening for His voice—to sit at Jesus’ feet— will keep our hearts guarded, and from there, a spring of life will come over us and our family.

And when we fail, even at being still before the Lord, don’t stop! Have the grace to say, “I messed up—I’m going to try again.”

Practice giving yourself grace and know that you can’t ever be perfect; if you could be, there would be no need for the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Reflection

Father, thank You that you see me. You know my thoughts, struggles, desires, and, most importantly, heart! Thank You for the grace you show me every single day. Please help me to give myself more grace, Lord. Help me to set aside all the distractions and focus on You and Your voice. Thank You, Lord, for all that You are doing in my life. Continue to pull me closer to You and Your heart. In Jesus Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.