Farewell to the Guilt Trips

We can become tragically lost in all that we've been.  And said.  And done. 

Constantly looking over our shoulder at our junk strewn behind us like dead carcasses along a desert path, we dwell with our sad litany of screw ups, sins, and mistakes.  And left untended, their ugly stench ends up owning us, possessing us, and shaping our view of ourselves. 

Instead of being convicted by the Spirit and making the choice to ask for forgiveness, doing a 180 and moving ahead, we can become achingly self-absorbed in our failures, slowly but surely defining ourselves by how 'bad' we are. 

These lies abound, and take on whatever form pushes your buttons.  The old tapes relentlessly play in heart and mind, the enemy of our souls using them to beat us up and send us on guilt trips that never end, that lead nowhere, that leave us in a pile on the corner.  'You are such a loser,' he hisses in the ugliest of tones.  'God will never use you.  You're never enough, you're too much, you're a mistake, a disaster.'  On and on he goes and we become paralyzed, allowing the horrific burden of guilt and shame to define us.

It's high time we call his whispers what they are. 

Lies. 

You know you're yearning to abandon those worn out tapes that do nothing but mar the beauty of who you are in Jesus.  John 10:10 tells us that the enemy is a destroyer, a killer, a thief stealing what is not his to own.

Your soul.  

The truth is that the Holy Spirit has only our best interests in mind.  He clearly convicts us of specific sin, guides us into all truth, and gently, lovingly restores us to a richer life of freedom, joy, and effective service.

Like Jesus did for Peter.

He longs for us to be defined not by endless recitals of failure, but by the fruit of Himself - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control {Galatians 5:22-23}. 

This is the time, this is the place to say adios to the incessant guilt trips, and leave the saga of our burdensome shame behind us.  And claim who we are in Christ, moving on to be who He has designed us to be.

Truth be told, we've wasted enough time looking in the rear view mirror and wallowing in the pain of it all ...

Musings from a Wanna-Be Gardener

She pinches and clips and prunes.  Waters and fertilizes and rearranges.  She craves color and scent and contrast, the feel of warm and crumbly black compost in her hands, tender green leaves between her fingertips.  She loves filling her old watering cans and emptying their contents on deserving, hungry plants.  She relentlessly yanks out weeds.  She gently handles the hanging flowers, and rearranges the perennials amidst rocks chosen to surround their beauty.

She feels like a back-to-nature girl, snipping fragrant mint leaves to flavor tall glasses of sweet iced tea. There's parsley and oregano to throw in the pot of simmering homemade spaghetti sauce. And chives for hot baked potatoes or tender steamed corn-on-the-cob. 

 

She gazes out the front door to admire the multi-colored geraniums that fill the old galvanized washtub sitting on the walkway made up of ancient reclaimed bricks.  She sits on the back porch and relishes the blessings of nature, the gifts from above that cause her to give a quiet thanks for gentle beauty.

She's a wanna-be gardener.  It's her therapy.  Her reconnection to the basics.  She meets God amongst all that grows and flourishes.  He refills and refuels her smack dab in the middle of His creation.   Even if she's more than just a bit foggy about the names of His green and pink and melon and white and red babies that she nurtures and handles with gentle care.

She cherishes this sweet connection with the Master Designer, the Creator of the garden of Eden, the Orchestrator of the seasons that spawn new growth.  Those stolen moments offer her refreshment that she just can't do without, enlarging her perspective about what is good and right in this world, and nurturing her sometimes weary heart.  The minutes here and there fortify her, still her, replenish her for the conversations ahead.

The wanna-be gardener is still as she savors all that is growing and lush and green.  And she meets the Redeemer of her soul right in the midst of His magnificent handiwork, acknowledging once again, that He alone is God {Psalm 46:10}.

Linda

- watering can by jeepinpixie -