I’ve been walking out some conflicts in my life lately. Building relationships is sometimes hard. It can feel so uncertain. When someone begins to be angry with me and I am unaware that I have done something to cause it, I often feel overcome. It’s hard because then I feel as if everyone is allowed to receive grace but me.
When this happened recently, I found myself spiraling into a sea of frustration again. Feeling like I was drowning and couldn’t figure a way to survive. Then like a break in the storm, I felt grace fall. The Father came to me, took my face in His hands and began to speak truth.
“Lisa, if these relationships in your life are so fragile that they can’t withstand the tiniest amount of conflict, then are they truly important to you? Do you really believe that if things aren’t perfect then everyone will leave you?”
Of course, this revelation to my heart brought an instant surge of relief. I had been believing a lie and wasn’t even aware of it.
I was then able to step back and detach. A flood of perspective washed over me, and I released all the perfectionism I’d been unwittingly holding onto. I felt a literal weight lift off of my shoulders…I had been under attack. A cloud of deception had come to rest upon me, and I hadn’t even known when it happened.
Suddenly, the weight of grace broke the weight of perfectionism.
I wonder, where do you feel a lack of grace in your life? Is there a relationship that causes you to feel the way I was feeling? Do you feel a lack of grace over a certain struggle you have?
There is so much grace. Reach out your hand toward heaven and take a hold of it. Handfuls of grace. Grace is there for you today, and it will be there for tomorrow, each day holding its own portion. Don’t fear it running out. Lean in and trust God to provide. The poverty spirit says, “There won’t be enough for me.” The one with identity in Christ says, “God gives exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or imagine.”
Prayer Moment: God, I pray You would break the cycle of condemnation over me today. I pray that You would open my eyes to grace. Consume my heart with a revelation of Your love and understanding. Give me the perspective I need to give and receive grace. Thank You for loving me enough to keep growing me. You are an all-consuming fire. Come consume me again and again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
365 Days in the Presence 