It was not my best effort in parenting. I was tired, hungry, and had no patience for craziness. But instead of responding, I reacted. You know what I mean? And truthfully, I was mad at myself. How can I expect my kids to behave properly when I still struggle with the exact same thing?!
That night, my heart was heavy as I tucked my kids into bed. As I kissed my oldest son goodnight, I apologized for losing self-control and asked him to forgive me. I said, “Let’s do better tomorrow, ok?” He smiled, agreed, and offered his forgiveness.
Later that night, as my husband and I went back to upstairs to go to bed, this card was on the floor outside my room. This kid teaches me so much about the love and grace of Christ through his love and grace over me.
This is the struggle Paul so transparently talks about in Romans 7: I know what I want to do (I want to be kind, I want to show grace, I want to be self-controlled), yet I continually find myself NOT doing that. Instead, I do the very thing I DO NOT want to do. Some days it’s more than a struggle; it’s a war. That’s why God so graciously gives us HIS armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) to protect us and the sword of the Spirit (His Word) to fight against the enemy. We must not give up. We cannot give in. We continue to fight the battles, because we know the war is won.
Sin no longer holds you captive (Romans 7:8) and we live a NEW life under the Spirit (Can I get a hallelujah?!). Yes, we will mess up because we still live in this broken world. But there’s grace. So much grace. Each day is a new day.
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22-24
I want you know that you are covered by His grace today. Your mess-ups today? God offers forgiveness. That reaction you wish you could take back? God still loves you as much as He did yesterday. Those words you didn’t mean to say? His mercies are new today. Rest in that.
Or listen the audio:
This week wraps our study of Romans: Part 1. Romans is a deep, rich book that is straightforward and foundational, yet thought provoking and complex. For this reason, it’s beneficial to take breaks, let the truths we learned over the last seven weeks sink in. We will pick up with Part 2 and Romans 8:1-17 the week after Easter.
We’ve been building the habit of being in the Word, so over the next couple weeks, here’s what you can do to continue that habit:
- Start back with Romans 1 and reread the first seven chapters.
- Spend time solidifying the truths you learned.
- Ask God to reveal new truths that you may have missed the first time around.
- Write out some of the key verses.
- Gather with a girlfriend or two or three and discuss what meant the most to you during that time.
- Come back here next week for a recap video, where Stacey and I share our favorites from Part 1.
I am thrilled to be part of an online Bible Conference called Enjoy the Word 2018. God has grown my passion for His Word for the last couple of years. It has breathed new life into my every day. For the first time in my life, I truly enjoy the Bible. And look at these amazing women involved! They are some of my favorite Bible teachers.
Here are some of the sessions (and you get to keep the videos for LIFE!):
- Keynote Speakers: Chris and Katie Orr – a Study through Jonah
- Kat Lee (HelloMornings.org) – How to Build the Habit of Regular Bible Study
- Stacey Thacker (StaceyThacker.com) – Igniting a Passion for God through His Word
- Katie Orr (KatieOrr.me) – Too Busy for Bible Study?
- Brooke McGlothlin (TheMOBSociety.com) – How to Control Your Emotions so They Don’t Control You
- Elyse Fitzpatrick (ElyseFitzpatrick.com) – Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation
- Angie Brown Elkins (chatologie.com) – How to Worship Through the Word
If you register before March 20, you can save $20! Click here for all the details and to register.
Erin H. Warren 