Abounding Grace

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace." Ephesians 1:7

 

God, I’m so sorry I let you down.

Maybe you’ve uttered those words as you lie awake at night, restlessly recounting the day’s events or even past choices. I know I have. I’ve scrolled through the memories of my day  … I didn’t read my Bible, I yelled at my children, I didn’t take time to stop and pray before I acted. Countless bad decisions have played in my mind until shame weighed so heavily in my heart that the inescapable feeling of being a disappointment begun to crush my soul.

Frantic repetitive words would leap from my lips, “God, I am so sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t get it right. I’m so sorry I let you down.”

Our experiences form our thoughts, and for many of us, our experiences are deeply rooted in past hurts. Disappointments, trauma, abuse, abandonment, and shame all have a way of persuading our minds to believe lies about ourselves. Consequently, every lie we believe about ourselves is transferred to what we believe about God.

There is something rooted in me that has, at one time, left me to believe that I can let God down. Me believing I could let God down also led me to believe God was standing ready to strike me down at the sight of any bad decision I made. This thought pattern led to vicious cycles in my mind: If I do good, I’m in good standing with God, but if I fall short, I lose God’s favor.

Our experiences may form our thoughts, but the renewing of our mind through God’s Truth transforms us. And friend, more than anything, I wanted to be transformed from this vicious thought cycle, so here’s a concept I now cling hard to: God’s grace.

Romans 5:20-21 states, “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Jesus died on the cross to take the sins of the world upon Himself in order to redeem everyone who believes in Him. No amount of achieving on my part can accomplish what has already been fulfilled on the cross. The work has been done. Jesus has already paid the price. Through the cross, my sins (past, present, and future) were charged to Jesus so His righteousness could be credited to me through the outpouring of God’s love and His unrelenting grace. Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more! And the same is true for you. If you lie awake at night, restlessly recounting the day’s events or your past choices, know that to God, you are not a disappointment. And He’s not waiting to strike you down at the sight of a bad choice.

God’s grace can’t be earned. It’s freely given because it’s every part of God’s character. Through Jesus, not one part of you is withheld from God’s love, and your lack of belief in being forgiven will never make you any less forgiven. Living with the constant feeling that you’ve let God down only prevents you from living in the complete freedom of God’s abounding grace.

Right now, as a believer of Jesus, you stand blameless and loved before God because His love justifies you. Nothing you do can take that love away. We who are in Christ are not defined by what we’ve done but by whose we are. Because of Jesus, you don't have to doubt your worth - you can find it in Him.

 

- Brittany

 

Have you struggled with these same thoughts of being a disappointment to God? Let's talk about it in the comments below.

 

About Brittany:

Owner and Founder of Living Truth Collective, Brittany Tate, has a sincere passion for equipping women in God’s Truth. She has mentored women for years while working at a Crisis Pregnancy Center, has served on the Women’s Ministry team at her church, and hand-crafts jewelry for Living Truth Collective. Her passion for biblical studies and psychology led her to pursue a degree in Christian Counseling from Liberty University so she can be better equipped to serve others. Her top three all-time favorite things are podcasts, coffee, and, dark chocolate. When she’s not traveling or spending her weekends at college football games, you can find her relaxing with her husband, Daniel, their five children, and one black lab.

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Do you need a reminder that through God's grace, you are forgiven? Our FORGIVEN bracelet was made to be that reminder. Find out more by clicking the image below.