Giving Yourself Grace

In a world of influencers and opinions, it is very easy to take your walk with God and compare it to the walks of others. I don’t read my Bible as much as her. I don’t go to church as often as he does. Am I Christian enough? When we allow our thoughts to stray from the truth, we begin to believe the lies that say we aren’t doing enough to be saved, or that we are a fraud. Why? Often, we unconsciously develop a mindset where we think that being a Christian is equivalent to being a perfect human. This is a false motto to go by. Being a Christian means we allow God’s love to lead us into progression, not perfection.

Down below are tips to apply to yourself the grace that God has blessed us with:

Do well with what you have. In both a literal and metaphorical sense, we need to make the most out of the things we have. Realistically, you won’t have the same amount of energy every day, so if all you have the strength to do is read the daily notification that says a verse, do that and think about it. Your 100% today won’t look the same as your 100% tomorrow.

Come as you are, but don’t stay where you are. When we start our walk with God, we begin with all our weaknesses, strengths, bad habits, and desire to change. As we walk, we should be moving away from that person and walking towards the version of us that has displayed improvement. Even if we grow out of just one sin, that is an accomplishment to be proud of. If you can be a bit better than who you were yesterday, then you are making progress.

Forgive yourself.  Our Lord is merciful and forgiving. He liberates us from our sins by forgiving us when we come to Him. But sometimes, we’re too harsh on ourselves. Harsher than we should be. At the end of the day, we are all human. We all sin. We all make mistakes. Don’t let this weigh you down or stunt your growth and progression in your journey as a child of Christ. He forgives us, so forgive yourself!

Your best is enough.  If you’re looking at yourself and you don’t feel worthy or feel as if you’re not doing enough, reevaluate. Are you trying your best? If your answer is yes, then you’re way ahead of the game. Your best is enough. Don’t try to beat standards or push yourself past what you are capable of. God sees your efforts and sees your genuineness. YOU ARE ENOUGH!