Wednesday’s Word

Romans 8:1: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for those who walk according to the Sprit and not according to the flesh.

Welcome to Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power and Trench Classes United. I’m so thankful you could join me today for Wednesday’s Word. Grab your Strand of Faith and let’s go tie some knots in our faith with a new perspective on this verse which came from a powerful conversation with my son. The more knots in our faith, the less likely we are to become unraveled in the storms of life.

As I mentioned on Tuesday, my son and I were having a pretty deep conversation about generational cycles and how they affect us, especially the not-so-positive cycles as a result of childhood abuse of any kind. Any time my son and I talk about stuff like this, there’s an overwhelming sadness much like an unexpected breeze that blows around me, threatening to knock me off balance. It brings with it the threat of condemnation and I have to take my thoughts captive, reminding myself of His love that has carried me thus far and his grace that has rendered me forgiven. This conversation was no exception; I still had to work at taking the thoughts of condemnation captive.

Unexpectedly, he changed the direction of the conversation off of others and onto me. What he said rendered me truly joyful…and free! His big brown eyes got even bigger “It’s crazy to think about how far you’ve come, Mom, and how you didn’t do a lot of what was done to you to me”!

I can’t tell you how good that felt to hear that from him, the one I know I parented incorrectly many times; the one whom I unknowingly abused in some ways, becoming what I had learned. There are many times when I’m with him and rewind my mistakes wishing like crazy that I could take back some stuff. That old condemnation starts knocking on the door of my heart and more times than I care to admit, it bangs down the door and gets in there! Are you catching what I’m throwing? 

Now, my son never tries to make me feel that way, and he has event told me on more than one occasion that he remembers exactly when I began to change. I just love talking with him because we are able to connect on so many levels. This is another gift from Him who is concerned about all that concerns us. I know for a fact that it is the Grace of God that has turned my painful past into my passion, what could have been a crutch has become a walking stick, and in many cases, my running stick. J But my breakthrough about this whole condemnation thing didn’t come until the next morning, and you can bet your dollars that I shared this with him, too.

I was reading in my Sarah Young devotional and it just so happened to be on Romans 8:1 and my heart got stuck on something, so I sat still, asking Him to explain it to me…I didn’t have long to wait. See, I know I am His, but what hadn’t made that 18-inch leap from mind to heart was the part about walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit…until now. See, to me, I had always thought in the secret place of my heart a bit negative about this verse because I read it like I had to be perfect all the time, you know, like always in the Spirit. But God knows that’s impossible, especially since we are housed in this tent of flesh. All He’s trying to tell us is whenever we do “feel” condemnation, it’s because we are walking/thinking with our flesh, and not walking/thinking with our spiritual selves! In other words, this word is just a little nudge reminding us to move over a lane, into the spiritual lane, for it is when we are plugged into the One who has deposited His Spirit within us upon acknowledgement and receipt of His Son that we CANNOT feel condemnation!

Why do I forget how loving and gentle He is…oh, don’t you love His promises and principles…

Moving forward…in His Spirit

Evinda 

P.S. Don’t forget to join me for Coffee Hour Live tomorrow at 10:00 PST! www.facebook.com/EvindaLepins