God doesn’t cast us away when we fail and come short. He understands that we are only human. We make mistakes and go in the wrong direction at times. Regardless of the times that I have sinned, God has never forsaken me. He is always there, with outstretched arms, waiting for me to come home.
While the devil judges us, condemns us, and tries to destroy us, our God loves us—just as we are. We don’t have to do anything to earn His love. He gives it freely to us all. Even when we are at the bottom. Jesus doesn’t turn away from us. His love shed on the cross has already covered our sins.
The devil tries to make me feel as if I have to live perfect in order to shine my light out to others. But Jesus tells me that His grace is sufficient for me. I can’t live perfect. Trying to live perfect takes away from the greatness of my Lord. All God wants from me is my obedience. When I decide to follow Him, regardless of the circumstance, then He is pleased with my efforts. That’s when He will use me to do His work.
Serving the Lord and doing His work is a personal experience. We can’t follow the crowd or do what we think that other people want us to do. In order to be fruitful for God, we have to follow Him—and only Him. We have to make sure that the Lord is our Shepherd.
So, how do we know if we are following the Lord?
In my experience, there is peace with my decisions. I don’t get mad at other people for not believing the same way that I believe. I don’t judge them. I don’t need credit nor praise for serving the Lord. I just love the Lord with all my mind, heart, and soul. And I love my brothers and sisters right where they are in their lives. It is the love that reaches other people and gives them a glimpse of my Lord.
Anytime I put myself above someone else, then I lose the beautiful opportunity to show them a glimpse of God. No one is inspired to serve God by self-righteousness. I know that I am in my own self-righteousness when I judge others and get upset with their actions. But when I can humble my heart and pray for them, and love them unconditionally, then I can shine them a light to the Lord.
I never want others to feel judged by me. I pray that they will only feel loved. God’s precious love covers all sins.
Isaiah 64:6 (KJV)
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
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