At the foot of the Cross

Recently a friend of mine on face book had an awesome status, "I have failed so much today, may my boast be only in Christ and His Cross." I added my little two cents of "liking" her status, and just thought this is my life too! I feel as though I fail so much daily, that I am in a rut of failure, as Paul described in Romans 7. I am that woman lately and I HATE it. I despise my sin! I have to say I mostly fail in my speech and I know it's a lack of submission on my behalf. I know that God never changes and He will give me the self control I need to speak what I should. This morning as I was reading through Psalms, the Lord so sweetly took me back to the basics, I absolutely LOVE this verse and have many times cried out to the Lord to make this a reality in my life because I know myself and I know the sins I am inclined to. Hear God's precious words, "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips, do not incline my heart to any evil thing." Psalm 141:3-4a. I love this, and as this sweet sister in Christ confessed how she failed so much, I thought what a blessing she was to me, and how she was using her words to honor God. We need that in one another, especially amongst believers, we need to be using our words to edify each other in the faith, because it is all too easy to be torn down by the culture we live in. And when we fail, because we all do, we need to bask in the forgiveness of the cross, and let our failures be resolved to His glory, for His glory!!

Lately it seems my life (spiritually speaking) is coming full circle...like the Lord is graciously bringing me back to the days I had at the beginning of my walk with Him. I remember the fervency that He gave me passionately pursuing him in His word all hours of the day and night, I remember the intense desire to allow His Spirit to lead me and guide me. I can honestly say, the Lord in His infinite grace still gives that to me, but in my own sinfulness I have succumbed to the busyness of raising three children and running a small business and failed....fallen flat on my face in the closet of my bedroom before God. I am just there, at His feet...crying out to Him and waiting, waiting for the Lord to renew in me a steadfast spirit, and create in me a pure heart. I am so enjoying the journey! God has placed my husband and I at an amazing church, and this morning the message was just perfect. God's word always is. As I'm in this rut of failure, the Lord sweetly allowed me to sit in church today and learn of the rich young ruler in Luke 18. What a blessing. I have heard this word so many times, and today as God spoke to me through His word, it was a constant reminder that my dependency must be on Christ alone, and that my trust must only lie in the FACT that I am only worthy of acceptance by God the Father, because of Christ. No matter my "righteousness" it is all filthy rags before God, and Christ alone is my righteousness. I was overwhelmed with God's goodness, and overwhelmed at my sinfulness, in my failure to submit. In the midst of this failure I am seeing Christ in a whole new way. I am seeing that freedom that comes from Christ. I am seeing the sanctification of Christ with new eyes and receiving it with a new passion!! Praise be to God! I've been feeling lately like life is tough, and it is, but I feel so relieved to be grasping the completeness of Christ.

There is absolutely nothing I can do, I can only throw myself at the foot of the cross, and pray for the mercy of God to lead and direct me each day! I can only pursue Him in His word and beg that because of His great mercy and compassion, not because of anything I have done (Daniel 9:18-19) that the Lord Himself would hear my prayers and change me and mold me into His image for His glory! It sounds so simple ladies, but I think so many times...daily...we fall into the busyness of the world and fail to realize that it really all comes down to this: Christ alone!!

Let us sit at the foot of the Cross, and whatever our failures may be, let us leave them there, knowing that it is in Christ that we are accepted by the Father, and that it is in Christ that we have the freedom to love, to repent, to restore, to be changed for His greater glory!!