William Holman Hunt
We are all broken and this world we live in is the broken place, where death of heart, death of relationships, and love is prevalent. Often we mask our deep, dark regrets of failure. Moral failure before marriage, failure to create an intimate marriage or fostering anger and resentment in marriage and feeling like a failure for never being able to become close or get rid of the pettiness.
Failure with our children, having shown anger or neglect to them, not really liking them; or doing everything we could to reach their hearts--doing our best and ending up with a prodigal who breaks our heart.
Failure with friends, petty quarrels, difficulty forgiving and forgetting.
Living with habits of eating disorders, cherishing idols that we know consume our soul or reading dark novels or more darkness than we can admit with sexual habits.
We are all broken people. Yet, if we indeed understand that He does not define us by our failures. He is "mindful that we are but dust." Psalm 103. "He was wounded for our transgressions." Isaiah
It is an illusion that anyone you know is perfect or can live by their works. No one can. All we like sheep have gone astray. We simply cannot hold to our ideals by effort, we are in total need of His mercy and grace, every day, all the time.
We want to serve Him. We want to be holy. We intend on being gracious, loving and patient.
But we fail and fall short, again and again and again--everyone you know, in some way.
But, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. romans 8:1
It was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm, that you do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."Gal 5:1
You cannot control the actions of behavior of others who are in your life. You cannot make others respond to God, to follow Him, to love and serve Him.
But you are responsible for your own actions. If you love Him and worship Him for His amazing grace, you do not have to be subject to the burden you carry deep in your heart.
You, as you are, are beloved by Him, forgiven, cherished. He understands what you carry. Go to Him, receive His love.
And then in humility, (because those who have seen the darkness of their hearts, and have yet received His amazing love, are humble), generously offer grace and forgiveness to those who are wounded deep within, by the feeling that their own failures or background define them. And tell them they are now defined by His love, His adoption, His family history.
Do not judge, but love hilariously, deeply, compassionately, like He, gentle in spirit, has loved you.
And in consequence, we will see love: deep, grateful, healing love, abound, flowing out all over, because of Him.
"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." Luke 7:47
May we always, always love much, because He daily, and always, forgives and restores.