by Martha June

Hey, Y’all! My goodness, it has been a sweet eternity since I last posted. I am sure the very few people who follow this blog gave up on me! A lot has happened to me in these last three months since my last post…A LOT! Honestly, I have been struggling. Not because my life has been bad, in fact, my life has been great! I have been able to spend some much needed time with my family and some very dear friends. School although frustrating at times is good. My senior year is flying by and I am almost halfway done! ( I still cannot get over the fact that I am a senior! I am officially going to be an adult in like five months.) Anyways..

The struggles I have faced recently have been internal. I started struggling with my sin and the condition of my heart.And instead of running to God for his forgiveness and guidance…I tried leaning on myself to “fix me” only getting me into a deeper, darker, place than I once thought I was at. The enemy started speaking lies in my heart telling me “I was not worthy of his love” “I am a failure” “How can you call yourself a Christian?”

This is not the only thing I was struggling with. I realized one day, whoa girl you are a senior! It is time to start making decisions, and getting a concrete, rock hard, LIFE PLAN!  You can just guess how that little freak out went.

All of those lies I let get a hold of my heart, and all the negative thoughts I was thinking about myself…really did a number on me. Before I knew it my joy was gone. But not just my joy, my peace, and my freedom flew the coop right along with it. I had slowly let my petty, worldly, worries, take the forefront of my mind and I gave Christ the back seat.

I was reading my Bible one morning, filled with the growing sense of confusion. I felt stuck, frustrated, and chained to my weakness. I wanted my joy, my freedom, and my peace back. When a verse popped into my head;

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has SET YOU FREE in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1

Those two words set free were like a knife to my heart.

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit set their minds on things of the spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:3-6

That verse just described exactly what I had done. In setting my mind on the fleshly things of this world, I had walked the road to death. But if I could set my mind on Jesus again and keep him at the forefront of my mind, that is where I could find life, peace, and freedom.

Later I found myself listening to a Billy Graham sermon from his series “My Hope American”  Billy just simply preached the gospel, something I know backward and forwards growing up in the church. And in those few moments, I was reminded of the 1000000000000 time how much God loves his children. Christ’ death on the cross changed everything. All of MY sin, and MY mistakes, and MY failures were put on him. And when God sees me, he does not see my sin. All he sees is Jesus.  There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 

Sweet friends, in case you have not figured this out, I am still learning every day how to grow closer to and look more like Jesus. My prayer for you is that you never lose the wonder of the gospel message, that it doesn’t become normal or familiar to you. But that the good news changes you every time you read it. I hope it changes you so much that you can then go forth and share this good news we cherish so close to our hearts. Join me in living free in Christ, with his peace and joy radiating from within you.

Life will never be easy, or smooth, or perfect. But with Jesus life can truly be lived to the fullest.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is the fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Sincerely,

a slow learner