"Guilty people make others feel guilty; free people make others free. And you can always tell how guilty a person feels by noticing how guilty you feel around him or her. Can I repeat that? You can always tell how guilty a person feels by noticing how guilty you feel around him or her. Jesus has made you free. It is important that you bring others to Him for the same surgery that He has performed on you." -Steve Brown, Born Free
I am guilty by nature. I feel guilty about relationships, things I've said, being selfish, being too quick to judge, eating too much, exercising too little, not performing correctly, not drinking enough water, complaining, complacency in my marriage-relationship with God-my kids, yelling at my kids, ignoring my kids, not cleaning the house, not cooking dinner, spending too much money, telling secrets I said I wouldn't tell, not calling someone I should've called, being self-righteous, watching too much TV, blah, blah, blah... You know the list. I say you know it because EVERYBODY has their list of guiltiness. Quinn sent me this quote yesterday. Am I that person? I want to not be the person who makes the group of people around me feel guilty. I AM free. I am FREE! I am free! He has transformed me and I am free. There is a pressure on Christian women to be this amazing "testimony". Got my make-up on, got my style just SO, cook a big supper for whomever may drop in, keep the house clean, laundry done, always spouting words of wisdom and spiritual eloquence, and my big plastic smile firmly in place. All in the name of being this perfect girl for Jesus. It ain't me.
I am a mess for Jesus. Hopefully, through my stumbling, fumbling words the gospel is lived out. Maybe through my verbal diarrhea someone finds encouragement to be real in their relationships. Perhaps through crying through my failure (again, again, again) someone sees that Jesus is gracious. Maybe through my living freely someone will take their first step to seeing what Jesus means when He says "You're Free". I want to be done with the straitjacket of guilt; it's very constricting.
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12 comments:
exactly.
You are a very freeing person. You are just broken (messy) enough to let the light of Christ shine beautifully through!
Casting Crowns has a song called "Stainglass Masquerade".
It's something we all struggle with...but cheer up...I have 3 huge baskets full of laundry right now, no laundry detergant to wash them with and a I just unpacked our suitcases from last weeks trip.
If more Christians lived without the vail of guilt, maybe more non christians would see something in us they want to have.
amen girl. good stuff.. im with Missy on the laundry.. but worse.. i have detergent.. in fact i have three loads of clean laundry that is going on day number 3 of not being folded. ..
i wish that were the worst of my failures..
encouraging post.
Your imperfections inspire me not to be so anal about my own. You inspire me to focus on my freedom. We are free! Scream it from the tallest mountain of laundry in your house! Didn't we touch on this during the Women's Weekend a couple of months back? Throw out all your guilt and let's talk about Jesus together.
Keith preached on us being called saints from Phil 1. and how it is Christ who makes us saints...not ourselves and our accomplishments. Religion causes us to have a "list" of things to do in order to measure up, of course we can never measure up. Religion says, "what can I do for God?" and the gospel is what God has done for me! He has freed us and made us saints. Religion leads to pride or despair because we can't keep our list of rules. Religion tells us we are not worthy, but the gospel says Christ made us worthy and free. By the way, Keith said his tattoo is a symbol for him of his freedom in Christ. His sermon will be up for you to listen to later this week on newcitydowntown.org
I needed that sermon because I walk in despair way too much.
Amen, Stah! Tell that! We are ALL fallen and in need of His mercies everyday.
I don't want to get on my soapbox because this is your post, but this sure is a hot button for me.
Phil.2:14-16 (NIV) says we are to do all things without complaining or arguing, so that we may be come blameless and pure, standing w/o fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which we shine like stars in the universe.
It doesn't say do everything perfectly. My favorite part is shining like stars in the universe. Hmm, stars - I think we can all say we're like a star, bright, shining, oddly shaped, hot and full of gas. Yep...I'm a star alright!
" cook a big supper for whomever may drop in"....I like steak (med-well)...be there around 5.
I saw this quote as well. I had to read it twice and then thought.."who do I make feel guilty?" I always feel guilty. I don't know if it's human nature or my Freewill Baptist background, but I have a hard time shaking that stigma...
AMEN!!!!!!
i meant amen to kim's post, not marsha's comment. :-)
Great post!!! I also can't believe the pics of rachel! Go to my blog and read my response to your comment
I have always thought of you as a pretty freeing person but I have noticed in the recent years you are especially honost and gracious. I'm lovin ya.
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