I’m part of a Grace for the Good Girl small group with 6 other moms. We meet at my house at 8 every other Wednesday.
Last night, we gathered in my living room amidst play mats and toddler toys and my freshly vacuumed rug. And we opened our books to chapters 7, 8, 9, and 1o. {Yes, we were feeling ambitious. And yes, it took a long time to cover all that.}
When we got to chapter 10, I just couldn’t shut up. Even the highly annoying latching/unlatching/latching/unlatching that my nursing newborn was doing couldn’t dim my excitement.
Because the truths in chapter 10 make all the difference.
Birth determines identity. My behavior cannot change who I am. Not my good behavior, not my bad behavior. Indifference, anger, selfishness…none of it changes my identity, that I am hidden with Christ, in God {Col. 3:3}. I can’t behave or misbehave my way to or away from God. Because I’m in Him and He’s in me. I am no longer “in Adam”, I am in Christ.
The lie from the fall is that we have to earn what we already have. Satan whispers this in sneaky, subtle ways all the time. Enter the checklist of good behavior I lived by. Enter the feelings of never measuring up, not ever being good enough, missing the mark. But the reality is that we already have everything we need for life and godliness. {2 Peter 1:3} because of His divine power. I don’t have to work so hard for something I already possess.
If we died with Jesus, then we rose with Him, too. {Romans 6:4-8}. This comes close to making my brain misfire and smoke start coming out my ears. It is so hard to wrap my little mind around this. But this is the miracle, the good news of Jesus. The other side of the cross. If I rose with Him and my life is now hidden in His, then I am free. Free to listen to Him without the what will they think? or what will he do? Free to completely rely on Someone other than myself to live life. Free to experience all that He is in every area of my life.
And then today, I got to talk to a sweet mom who has had some news that really rocked her world. And it was a hard issue to deal with, especially for a mom. Who am I to offer advice or expertise or direction? So when I saw her number on my phone, I said Jesus be my words. And I knew without a shadow of a doubt that He was. That’s the beauty of these truths in chapter 1o. I can trust Him to be everything I need. Everything I’m not. I’m free to be His advice and expertise and direction to other people because I’m resting in Him for all of it.
And you can, too.
I can’t wait to dive into Part 2 of this book. I’m linking up with Emily {the author} and others who are reading and writing about chapter 10 today. Join us?
