I love grace.

I am so thankful that when we are in Christ Jesus, we are no longer condemned.

I also love truth and whole-heartedly want to seek it out. I have deep convictions based on the Word of God that I view as sufficient and authoritative.

I need to make two things very very very clear:

1.) I fully understand that we live in a sin-saturated world where black and white doesn’t always fit and circumstances vary greatly.  Grace.

2.) I am not speaking for God when I communicate my convictions after studying God-breathed Words. I cling to His truth because I love Him and seek to obey Him. I’m so thankful for His gentleness and overwhelming grace.

3.) I am not judging my fellow sisters-in-Christ who fall differently on the issues than I do.  I will exhort and proclaim the Word of God to women, but I am not judging.  Speaking convictions does not equal a personal judgment from me towards others. *Edit* Everyone judges, whether they know it or not. I suppose I’m judging when I disagree? Either way, what I mean is that I don’t (or at least sincerely try not to) look down on my sisters.

4.) I do not believe that the roles of women are a salvation issue.  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1.

5.) Have I mentioned grace?  Love it, cling to it, desperate for it.

6.) I hope you will weigh all my words against scripture…I will do the same as you challenge me.

7.) We may ultimately disagree on issues.  That’s okay!  We can still love each other!

8.) In everything I write, please know that I’m praying through it before I publish.  I want to speak good, grace-filled words.  I want to encourage.  I want us to all search the scriptures to the glory of God.

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I just read a very convicting article by David Mathis titled “Practicing Politics As Former Fools.” Here is an excerpt:

“God doesn’t send his church into the political fray with a strut and an open mouth but with gentleness and courtesy—with a readiness to do good, to avoid quarrels, and to speak evil of no one.

Why gentleness and courtesy? Why such an unexpected posture? Paul follows with his reason:

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.(Titus 3: 3)

…Those who have been rescued by God’s grace are to engage those who haven’t with gentleness and courtesy and a readiness to do them good and not evil. We should be quick to remember that apart from God’s saving work—and owing to no work of our own—we share in the same disobedient, enslaved foolishness.”

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The below post was written by my dear sister-in-law, Renee:

Longing for the Ideal with Hope and Grace

Do you know what I really long for? Maybe it’s the same desire you have: to be a really great (and I mean the kind of great that receives many rewards in heaven) woman, wife and mom. For me, this means meeting my ideal expectations of myself. We might all fill in the blanks of what that looks like to us differently. Some of my blanks start with: to always _________ or to never __________.

Do you know what my problem is? I find that my real self never quite reaches my ideal expectations- and many times falls miserably short. It seems hopeless when I see who I want to be and then see myself as I really am.

A book I read recently, Changes That Heal, helped me with this struggle between the good and the bad that I face inside of myself. The truth and grace I found there brought great freedom.

The truth is my real self doesn’t match my ideal self. But the grace given by Jesus makes a lot of room for imperfection. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection- which gave Him victory over imperfection and its consequences- I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t even have to be good! Jesus is my perfection for me. He is my goodness. My hope for becoming all I long to be rests in Jesus whose job it is to perfect me and make His work of creating holiness in me complete.

For me, in practical terms, this means ‘the pressure is off’! I can ‘reveal’ my real self to myself and others. I don’t need to feel shame or embarrassment over my failures or shortcomings as a woman, wife or mother. I can rest and not weary myself with striving for an ‘ideal’ while trying to cover up my ‘real’.

With Jesus’ help, I work towards obeying God to produce righteousness in all areas of my life. And with the picture of Jesus’ work on the cross, I work towards that goal imperfectly without guilt or shame. The good and the bad of my real self can co-exist without a cover-up so that Jesus’ work in me can shine.