Trading Guilt for Grace

Guilt...it's always on the forefront of my mind and for no particular reason. It lives and breathes there, every hour of every day. It's not only my anxiety-ridden ways creeping in, it is the noise of other's opinions, through articles, social media, strangers, people you're close to, the silence, the noise, and expectations. I question why I live with that always breathing down my neck, especially when there is no reason for it to be there. It just is and I'm not always quite sure how to rid myself of it. Guilt is apart of our conscience and it's there for good reason, but it's not here to live when there's no reason to feel guilty.

Let it go. Words that ring in my ear, but never seem to become fruitful. One day it will and one day I will just LET IT GO.

As easy as it is to say those words, it's equally as difficult to live it out. This past weekend we heard a sermon on grace and how there is nothing we can DO to receive more grace. It just simply is gifted to us by God through faith in Him and boy did it strike a HUGE chord on my soul. I carry guilt and shame on my shoulders for always imagining what I could be doing or shouldn't be doing, but this sermon spoke to how through God's goodness there is Grace. We can just BE. We don't have to carry our burdens, we don't have to worry about working harder to free ourselves of guilt or shame because God gave us His son so that we can live with Him. We know there are better days but in our moments here on earth, we can rest in His Grace, His forgiveness.

Believe me, I'm still working on this because this was just a few days ago and we all know that I'll go back to second-guessing everything and shame myself. I'm striving to turn a new leaf with my life, letting go of scary thoughts, guilt, stop the negative talk about my own parenting skills ( I know I need to grow + I will) people pleasing because it's not about me which is what people pleasing comes down to. If you want to know what I mean about that, just ask me and I'll explain. Sidebar: That was some of the best advice I've received in awhile, so thank you.

I will start standing tall living in the gift of grace and forgiveness. I will give myself a break. I will love louder and better than ever before because I want to focus on other things of this world rather than focusing the burdens that hold me down.

"For sin shall no longer be our master, because you are not under the law, you are under grace." -Romans 6:14

I am thankful for the people in my life that speak the real hard truths and they aren't about sugar coating a dang thing. I'm a give it to me straight kinda gal. So...here's to accepting more grace. Who's with me?

-B