Doesn’t necessarily make me feel overly wonderful as I was a wife at one point and can only hope that this song was not a criteria! But my one daily devotional made me think about the flip side as well. Think of all the “beautiful people,” all those movie starts or sports starts. They never get a moment’s peace! And while no one is following me around with a camera, I don’t seem to get a break either.
This devotional went on to state that Jesus was there for us always! Even when he tried to get away for a moment’s peace by crossing the lake in a boat, when he landed with the disciples on the other side, they were waiting for him! (Matthew 8:18)
See, even he couldn’t get away, as when he got to the other side, there were 2 demon-possessed men on the shore. (Matthew 8:28).
Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20) (Matthew is really hitting me right now, can’t you tell?)
But, then I read the below in an online devotional:
In the midst of caring for those you love, don't neglect yourself. You are valuable and important. You are worth a little treat. You have a big job and need to be refreshed. (Proverbs 31, 06/19/12, by Glynnis Whitwer)
So, don’t neglect myself – that’s hard! Jesus did get away from time to time, just to pray and spend time with His Father and ours, to refresh himself. But, we were told:
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-38)
WOW! So, we need to take time. How is it that it is so easy to keep giving to others (neighbors), but not doing as commanded and loving ourselves as much as we are loving those around us?
I’m also reading Max Lucado’s “In the Grip of Grace” right now, and there is a section on page 7 that asks which of the characters listed do I most resemble. Based on the charts he laid out on pages 8-9, I fall between the legalist and the Christian. I always “feel guilty”, I’m always tired (“weary”), I feel that “I can’t work enough”, I am “stressed-out”, and surely don’t feel worthy of grace (“not me”). But – I “know my Father”, I know that “I may be bad, but I’m forgiven”, and “I can’t thank Him enough.”
So, wandering all over in this one, how do we be happy? How do we not feel guilty, tired, stressed-out, how do we feel worthy of the grace given?
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
We are all going to have issues. I don’t think anyone would ever say that I am one of the “beautiful people,” I was married and must not have been ugly enough as I am not married any longer! ;-) These are things that we must go through to be purified. Peter asked that “the thorn be removed.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
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.
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.
That is the way to look at life and the speed bumps – I must be getting this so that I have enough!
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