Just keep receiving...

I sin. Often. I occasionally lose my temper. I occasionally will swear. I tend to still judge. I make poor choices. I smoke. I lust. I get jealous. I will tell a white lie here and there. I can be selfish at times.

I don't want to...but I do.

I grew up in a judgmental family full of the law and condemnation. I expected lightning to strike every time I sinned. I was going to hell no matter how many times I asked Jesus into my heart. If I was sinning when Jesus returned in the rapture, I would be left behind.

I had to be perfect, but even all of that would be canceled out if I committed even one sin. I was tormented at night with dreams of Jesus returning and taking everyone but me. My "best" wasn't good enough. Ever!

I lived in fear. I lived in a world with a "conditional" God. He only loved me when I was "good enough". When I was "bad", God turned His back on me. That's just who He was. Or at least, how He was portrayed to me.

I'm now in my 30s. I still try to be "good enough". I fail. I can't ever be "good enough" for Jesus. Never!

My walk with Jesus in the past 4 years has been one of learning who He is all over again! He never runs out of grace. He always loves. He always sticks around. He never walks away. He never turns His back.

He-is-God-and-He-loves-me-for-me...

HE
REALLY
LOVES
ME!!!
NOTHING
CAN
CHANGE
THAT!

I have to fight my insecurities often. I have to claim scripture often. I have to tell myself the "Truth" daily.

I DO NOT have to try to earn God's love. I DO NOT have to be perfect. I DO NOT have to be afraid of God walking away from me. I DO NOT have to be afraid of God's grace running out.

I AM God's daughter. I AM precious to Him. I AM beautiful in His sight. I AM cherished. I AM a new creation. I AM being renewed day after day. I AM going forward. I AM pressing on. I AM important to Him.

Grace. Amazing grace. Saved a wretch like me. Grace. Sweet grace.

I think I am afraid of abusing God's grace; therefore, I keep punishing myself just a little bit because then I will teach myself "a lesson" and never do it again!

HELLO!!!!!!!!!

That's NOT how God operates! That's NOT who God is! Jesus died and rose again for all of that. People are so leery to talk about God's grace because they are afraid of giving others permission to sin. What happens is that people, like you and I, torment ourselves because we can't ever reach that "state" of being "good enough".

So........... Here's what I've learned about GRACE:

• It never runs out!
• God freely gives it.
• When you TRULY understand grace, I don't believe you can abuse it. The key word here is "TRULY get it".
  
• Jesus WANTS us to receive it! He doesn't want us to beat ourselves up over our mistakes!
• IT'S FREE! You never have a bill hanging over your head. There isn't a balance being added up every time you receive it.
• It truly is AMAZING grace!

Satan is a liar. He wants to deceive you. He wants you to believe that you will NEVER be good enough. He wants you to believe you are "too bad" for God. If he can keep us stuck so we do not receive God's grace, we condemn ourselves, and it makes his job alot easier. We will sin MORE when we don't feel like we can receive God's grace. Satan is a liar.

Jesus died for you! Jesus died so you could have life! Life involves receiving grace! Every time! All the time! And it doesn't run out!

Receive
God's
grace
today.
It's
free.
It's
paid
for.
Quit
beating
yourself
up!

Just
keep
receiving...
just
keep
receiving...

Jesus loves you! Turn your face and your heart towards Him. Receive His GIFT of grace and love!