Mommas- Quit with the Guilt Trips, Already!

To homeschool or not to homeschool?
To do my quiet time in the mornings or the evenings?
To read that one last book to my kiddo or do the dishes?
To sew my hubby’s torn work pants or to help my kids with homework?
To let my kiddo eat that second treat or say no to any treats to make up for past treats…
 
Mommas, pack your bags!  We’re going on a guilt trip!   Guilt, guilt, and more guilt… the enemy is on full attack every single waking moment of every single day.  For moms, guilt is a cancer eating away at our joy, our sound mind, and many times- our freedom to fully live in Christ’s Presence through this wonderful journey of motherhood.  Guilt is not of God.  Guilt is of Satan.
 
Guilt is an emotional response to a moral dilemma-  many times, wrongly judged or misread, depending on many variables.  Guilt is something that drives us away from God.  It eats away at our thoughts, our attitudes, and our Biblical worldview.  It teaches us to personalize situations, solve problems on our own, and question what truly is “good” in the world around us.   Guilt cripples the precious Child of God to the point of oppression and depression; guiding our daily decisions, if we take the bait.
 
If we only we look at what Satan baits us with every single day, we would see how simply conniving the father of lies truly is.  He takes TRUTH and simply removes Jesus.  “You’re not good enough.  No matter how hard you try, it is never enough.  You are not smart enough.  You don’t measure up.  Your family is paying for it.  They need more, they deserve more!” 
 
Let’s look at the FULL TRUTH.  Jesus paid it all.  Romans 3:25 tells us, “whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His Forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” 
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You’re not good enough, but JESUS IS.  No matter how hard you try, it is never enough, but JESUS’ STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN YOUR WEAKNESS (2 Corinthians 12:9)! You are not smart enough, but JESUS IS RENEWING OUR MINDS EVERYDAY (Romans 12:2).  You don’t measure up, but JESUS IS OUR PROPITIATION, OUR SUBSTITUTE!  Your family is paying for it… they need more… they NEED JESUS, TOO! 
 
Guilt takes Jesus out.  It puts the ball in our court.  It makes us question every single facet of our lives, looking through the eyes of our flesh, the world, and Satan’s standards.  His “standards”, for a lack of a better word-  takes a little Truth and mixes it up in secular worldview to create confusion and brokenness. Sin is sin, yes!  The Bible is very clear about right and wrong.  When we sin, Jesus convicts our hearts. 
 
Conviction drives us straight to the gracious throne of grace… into His loving arms, where we need to confess our sin, acknowledge our shortcomings and allow Jesus to grow us and decrease us, so HE can increase in our lives (John 3:30).   Guilt is the opposite of conviction.  It drives us away from God, like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden when they sinned.  They HID from God.  How silly is that?  Hiding from God?  But that is the reaction that guilt throws our way. 
 
We allow Satan to guilt us to the point of hiding our sin, hiding our true identity- to keep us from truly living in freedom.  If I am just “me”, people might not like me.  Satan wants us to live in silence.  First off, it really doesn’t matter what people think of us, right?  I am not saying that in a Spirit of rebellion, but in a Spirit of reverent fear of God Almighty.  The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25. There are too many people to please, with too many different opinions, EVEN IN THE CHURCH.  You will NEVER please everyone, so?  STOP, trying!  When we live to please the LORD we will be safe in HIS ALMIGHTY arms!  HE is our focus, He is the ONE and ONLY whom we need to look to for approval and affirmation.  (Ephesians 6:6) And let me assure you, He is much more forgiving and understanding than the most genuine Christian person you have ever met.  You are truly safe in His Presence.
 
Chains fall off, when we look full in His WONDERFUL FACE.  Lives are transformed, when we stop trying to live to please the world, and fix our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)
 
UNPACK those bags, mommas!  We AREN’T GOING on a GUILT TRIP- ANY LONGER!!!  Stop- when you get a guilt pang go through your mind, take it captive before the LORD (2 Corinthians 10:5)!  Our families need us to point them to Jesus, not fix everything in their lives, or entertain them.  Yes, quality time is needed, and yes, conviction will be placed in our hearts!  The big difference between guilt and conviction?  Guilt drives us away from God and focuses on our shallow self-righteousness… Conviction drives us TO GOD and puts our eyes on HIS GOODNESS AND GRACE to change us from the inside out! (Ephesians 3:16). 
 
Snuggle your hubby and your kiddos, enjoy the freedom we have in Christ!  He is ENOUGH!  WE ARE HIS CHILDREN!  He sees us, and knows the struggle is real.  Remember, chains fall off, when we look FULL IN HIS WONDERFUL FACE!  (I Chronicles 16:11) … Satan flees when we submit to God!  (James 4:7 )… and, guilt disappears in His PRESENCE. 

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