Struggling?

Life's a struggle! I'm struggling with . . .  My day was such a struggle to get through!

Have you heard these words lately? Have you said these words lately? Have you secretly told yourself something like the words above lately?

Sometimes feeling like life is a struggle is centered around guilt. Have you been on the guilt merry-go-round. [not sure how merry it is] You are caught off guard by a stray thought. One you thought you had put to rest. You start to dwell on it. [dwell means to live there] As the day wears on so do you, you are wearing out. Your thoughts are consumed by the guilt. You can't seem to let it go or step out of the trap. A trap is exactly what it is.

John 10:10 

 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

 

You have been set up by the Thief. He has very carefully laid the trap of guilt and you have fallen into it once again. Seems like a vicious cycle and there is no way out. If feels like quicksand and there is no one to toss you a lifeline to escape. [speaking from first hand experience here]

I have been there until this past Sunday. As I sat in church the message was on guilt. OK ready to bolt from the room. I thought I was handling this and it didn't show on my face, who told? There was a short video with folks putting cardboard titles on themselves. I know you have seen it, words like addict, adultery. I had seen it once before in another setting but somehow my "title" never appeared. {safe, hidden]I settled back feeling safe then on the next board there it was! It hit me with such force the tears slipped out. Have you been there too? Thought I was the only one.

The rest of the message had my attention because I wanted to get off the merry-go-round. You too?

I found out there are two kinds of guilt. Good guilt and bad guilt. I know how can there be good guilt? Well, good guilt is the kind that makes you run to God and confess you messed up. [again] It turns you around and your receive the forgiveness you so desperately need.

Romans 8:1

 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

 

Did you catch that word condemnation? That's the merry-go-round word. That's the bad guilt, the kind that says you are no good, you are a . . .  {you fill in the blank}It is the greatest weapon in the enemy camp. The work is all done by you!

 

Jesus loves you. Go back and read that again. It's not just something you try to convince yourself, He really loves you.

Psalm 103:12

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 

[Transgression is another word for sin] He absolutely loves you and me. If we take our sins to him, he forgives us and puts them as far as the east is from the west. He gently takes us off the merry-go-round. He cleans us up and whispers, "I love you", "I don't condemn you so don't condemn yourself."

 

Do you know what that is? Freedom, pure and simply. You are free in Christ. There is nothing like it! Get off the merry-go-round and enjoy the freedom only Christ can give!