Not by Power Nor by Might
I’m going to throw it back to good ole days for a minute. I don’t know about you guys, but I was a dumb teenager. (I’m 22 now for the record.) Of course, you never had any moments in your teenage years when you did things you regret. (Let’s laugh together.) But seriously, I made mistakes. I hung out with friends that I shouldn’t have, did things I shouldn’t have done, and said things I shouldn’t have said. (Also for the record, like the rest of us, I still stumble and fail of course but teenage Emma was a different story.) I really struggled with how to deal with those failures. I was carrying the weight of my burdens around with me and that can really take a toll.
We’ve all dealt with this to some extent whether big or small. Shame, guilt, and furthermore, inadequacy are some of the biggest hindrances I have seen in this life. Why is this? I believe it’s because there is a part of our human nature that strives for perfection. But at the same time, there is another part that believes when we mess up, our value is diminished. A few quick truths: There will never be a time in your life when you reach perfection. There will never be a time when you don’t mess up even if in a small way. You will deal with sin for the rest of your earthly life. You need Jesus’ grace to handle a problem like this.
It can be so hard to wrap our small little stubborn minds around but grasp this: Jesus didn’t die on the cross because we deserved it. There is nothing in this life that we can do to earn the Love and Grace of Jesus. (See Zechariah 4:6.) We are all messed up. None of us is worthy . The good news is that Jesus carried every one of our burdens to the Cross that faithful day because He loves us.
So dear friend, hold onto that today. If you are struggling with guilt just know you are not the first nor the last to fall short of the Glory of God. Just give it to Jesus. Don’t let the guilt of the past hold you back any longer. He is ready and waiting with open arms to help you carry that load.