Freedom Over Guilt

If I’m being real with y’all here, I struggle with guilt. I’ve been a Christian since I was five years old, so I know and believe Jesus died for my sins. I know I’m forgiven. Yet I’ve found, and I’m willing to bet you’ve discovered too, that even though I know I’m forgiven, it’s hard to feel forgiven when the burden of guilt weighs heavy on my heart.

But here’s the thing. I’ve learned, through past and recent studies, that once my sins are forgiven by Jesus, I don’t need to feel the burden of guilt anymore.

It sounds pretty basic, right? It is. But our enemy Satan doesn’t want us to be freed from guilt and shame. He wants us to wallow in it. When we do, it steals our joy. We lose perspective of God’s great power in our hearts and lives; we forget the reason why Jesus died. We live an ineffective, joyless life because we’re too focused on how bad we are to share how good God is. Or we exhaust ourselves trying to be good enough for God, to make up for our mistakes.

This, my friends, is where we–I–have a choice. We can choose to believe what the our emotions are telling us and/or the lies the devil feeds us, OR we can listen to what the Bible says.

Seeing as how emotions are not dependable and the devil is a liar, I’d much rather hear what the Bible has to say about the subject.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24

Yes, I’ve sinned and fall short of God’s glory. But it also says I have been justified (which means to be guiltless or innocent) freely by His grace. Freely! He freely bestows the status of innocent upon those who come to Him with a repentant heart. It doesn’t matter how much sin you have in your life–God’s grace will always exceed it. (Romans 5:20) No one can fall so far that God’s arm cannot pull them out.

Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Romans 11:11

I love that verse! When Satan tries to feed you the lie that you can’t be forgiven, this is what you come back at him with: God’s word declares that His grace exceeds my sin! I am guiltless before Him because of Jesus!

Years ago while I was studying this out, I collected several verses and wrote them down on index cards. I went over them whenever I began to feel the weight of guilt trying to bring me down. I read them and believed them, despite what I may have been feeling at the time, because I knew that “the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.” (Psalm 33:4) This is it is what Scripture describes as “renewing your mind” (Romans 12:2).

Another thing I find helpful when struggling with guilt is remembering my identity in Christ–who I am as a child of God. Ephesians 1 and 2 has a sums it up quite nicely.

• I am a saint in Christ Jesus. (1:1)
• I am chosen (1:4)
• I am holy and blameless (1:4)
• I am loved (1:4)
• I am adopted into His family (1:5)
• I am freely given grace (1:6)
• I am redeemed (1:7)
• I am forgiven (1:7)
• God lavishes me with the riches of His grace (1:7)
• I am marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit (1:13)
• I am God’s handiwork (2:10)

THIS is who God has created me to be in Christ Jesus. Not condemned by guilt and shame, but FREED by the blood of Jesus to live a life redeemed and forgiven! Praise God!

As I like to do, I wrote a poem based off of these truths, which I want to share with you below. When I am struggling, I read it and be reminded of all God has said. Of course it doesn’t replace Scripture and my need to study it and meditate on it–but it’s chock full of verses, and I use it as a way to say, “Okay God. This is what You’ve said, and I believe it.”

I hope it helps you, too. ❤ If you have any questions or want more verse references, comment below!

Live in freedom, friends.

Emma xo

Such as I

The glory of the Lord surrounds me every day

With a heart full of praise, I meditate His ways

I marvel at His goodness, for even such as I

That Jesus, my Savior, on behalf of me died

~

I am predestined, adopted; cherished and known

Released from darkness and never alone

And though I may stumble, there is never too far;

No depth unknown to the Lord’s saving arm

~

For He reaches out, pulls me close to His heart

He woos me back, although I’ve drifted apart

Condemned I am not, for He proclaims

“Repentant heart be cleansed; release to Me your shame

~

“My forgiveness envelopes you, My grace surrounds you

Your old self is gone; now redeemed, set free, made new”

By forgetting my past I push on ahead

Forsaking all lies, for God has said

~

I am His child, loved and made new

The past, once forgotten, is gone from His view

I will choose to walk forth in freedom, in light

My identity known, His truths I recite

~

Forgiven, redeemed, and found a delight

Righteous and cleansed in His sight

I raise up my hands and life up my eyes

“Thank you, O God, for loving such as I.”

Enough – a poem

Happy Valentine’s Day!!! As you can see, I’ve got a poem that I want to share with you! But before I share it with you, I wanted to tell you guys how it came about. 🙂

Friday evening I was sitting at my computer thinking, “I’d really like to write a poem.” Thing is, poems don’t come as naturally to me as stories or blog posts. Even if I sometimes have a specific topic I’d like to write about, I can stare at the blinker on a blank Word Doc screen for half an hour (or longer, depending on how badly I want to do this) and have nothing to show for it.

Except sometimes. Usually when I least expect it. I’ll be writing in my journal, lying in bed trying to get to sleep, typing randomly or whatever the case may be, and suddenly I’ll get the words for the first verse. Then the second. The third. Tweak, edit, make it right–and then it’s done. I have myself a poem.

Ha, it doesn’t happen all the time. I’ve written four poems now like this in the past…year and a half? But just the way it happens–sudden and simple and easy… it never ceases to amaze me! I call these poems God Poems. Just like the poem below, just like the poem I posted for y’all months ago, just like everything I write, it was God-inspired.

And that’s basically what happened Friday night! I didn’t finish it that night; I worked on it off and on throughout Saturday (it was hard. Rhyming is hard! Don’t underestimate the rhyming!) and then I finished it. We finished it.

So I guess what I’m trying to say here guys, is that what I write isn’t just by me. In fact, it’s not by me at all! These are the words that God put on my heart; that the Ultimate Writer told me to put down on paper. (Or on a Word Doc, haha!) Without God, there’d be no such thing as letters or words or sentences–let alone stories and poems! So all the glory for this poem, really needs to go to God. The One Who inspired it all. I’m just the one with the pen.

And I wanted to–or maybe it was God who wanted me to–share it with you. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. Whether you’re single or married or in a relationship, never, ever forget that there’s Someone who loves you so much, no matter what. (John 15:13* and Romans 5:8**) And more than anything: you don’t need to measure up to the world’s standards. Because God loves you, so much that He died for you, you are enough, just the way you are, for Him. ❤

Blessings and love,

Emma xo

*There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ~John 15:13 (NLT)

**But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. ~Romans 5:8 (CEV)

---

 

Enough by God and Emma

~

She yearns for love,

For someone to hold her and call her their own;

To feel special and cherished,

And know that she’s enough.

She forgets that true love comes from above;

From the King who sits on His throne.

That the true act of love was when He perished,

By his death she was pulled out of the rough.

 ~

Her tears fall for the times when she was pushed aside,

And told she wasn’t the best she could be.

Her heart aches because she isn’t up to par;

She doesn’t know how to change their mind.

But the King of the Universe draws her near to His side;

He whispers in her ear, “You’re perfect to me,

I love you just the way you are.

Everything about you is beautiful, just the way I designed.”

 ~

The whispered words she protests and denies,

But He doesn’t let go, He loves her forever;

The King’s precious girl, she’s His for good,

Even when she doesn’t recognize it.

He hugs her tight and keeps on talking, “Don’t listen to the lies,

Just come as you are and never,

Never think I won’t accept you; I love you like no one ever could.

My love for you will never change, not even a little bit.”

 ~

She wants to believe,

Wants to know the love she’s been refused.

She relaxes and listens to,

Not the lies of the world, but to the King’s voice.

“I’ve heard the prayers you’ve prayed,

I’ve seen the hurt you’ve excused.

Listen to Me when I say that you,

Bring Me the greatest of joys.”

 ~

“Your name is on the palm of my hand,

Daughter, you are my treasured possession.

When people tell you otherwise,

You have to know,

My thoughts of you are more than the grains of sand;

I’ve freed you from sin’s oppression.

Lift your eyes, my girl, lift your eyes

And see, I love every part of you, from your head to your toes.”

 ~

Her heart is filling with the truths He’s given,

She’s being held and called His own,

Told that she’s special and cherished.

And by His grace, by His love, she knows that she is enough.

Enough to be loved, enough to live a life forgiven

She’s enough for the King on His throne,

Who saw her broken and said, “I died for you,

because I love you, to make you Mine.

And my daughter, because of that, you are enough.”

 

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Beautiful to Me – A Poem

Good afternoon! I hope you’re all having a marvelous day today. 🙂 And you know what…. Spring is coming!!! Finally. It’s been such a long winter, and I do like winter, but I love spring. I can’t wait until the flowers and leaves come back! What you’re favorite part about spring?

Today I thought I would share a poem that I wrote. I’m sure you all know by now how much I love to write. I love to combine the 26 letters of our alphabet in gazillions of different ways, but most of all I love to write because I want to bring glory to Jesus through my writing. 😀 So here is my God-poem; Jesus gave me the words and I wrote them! It’s titled Beautiful to Me. All the glory; all the praise goes to God. ❤

Beautiful to Me

They made fun of her again,

and it’s not the first time.

She’s weeping in the corner.

They said she was ugly, awkward and weird,

and she’s wondering, “Is it true?”

~

She feels Someone’s arms wrapping around her shoulders.

He draws her near and holds her close.

He comforts her; He rocks her.

He tells her everything is going to be alright,

and after a moment of soothing silence,

when her tears have ceased,

He begins to talk softly.

~

“I know they make fun of you,”

He whispers in her ear.

“I know you’re wondering if their words are true;

if you’re really ugly, awkward or weird.

But I need to tell you something:

Those nasty things they said about you,

Princess, those words aren’t true.

You’re beautiful to Me.”

~

He continues and His voice is soothing and warm.

“Come to Me, precious princess.

Come to Me and let Me give you rest.

Don’t listen to what the others say.

Listen to what I say, for I am the King of all Kings.

I am God of the Universe; I made you.

Precious princess, I love you.”

~

He kisses the top of her head as He says,

“You’re beautiful just the way I created you.

It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

You’re beautiful to Me.

~

“When the others make fun of you,

when they tease you about the way you look or act,

just remember one thing:

People look on the outward appearance,

but I look at the heart.

I don’t want you to forget, My daughter,

You are beautiful to Me.

You are My precious princess.

I don’t want you to ever forget it.”

~

 He lays a gold crown atop her head and says,

“All princesses need their crown, especially you,

My daughter, you are a princess of the King.

Always wear your crown and know that you are loved.”

He turns so He can face her,

and tears come to her eyes as He whispers,

“Precious princess, I want you to know,

you’re beautiful to Me.”

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