The Bad News

Many years ago I had two big hopes that I would pray for:
I wanted to be married.
I wanted to be a Mom.
Sometimes I forget how desperately I longed for those things!
I even remember praying, "Lord, I just would love to learn more about You through marriage and motherhood. Marriage is the picture of You and the body of Christ (church) and being a parent...You gave Your Son for me. I want to understand."
Oh how we try to manipulate God! How often I try to conform Him to my image and put Him in my little boxes of ideas!
He did, indeed, bless with with a wonderful husband and two lovely girls.
And, boy, am I learning more and more through these relationships.
Not always the lovely things I thought I would learn, or at least not in the way I thought I would.
Ever pray for more patience and realize He doesn't zap you with immediate serenity, but allows you to go through trying things to teach you patience?
Makes you want to pray for your old patience!
We were told age 3 is harder than age 2. Little Miss turned 3 and we had a beautiful, blissful week. I told Dic we must be the lucky ones.
Oh boy! Was I wrong!
It's been a difficult month of parenting. Fo and Little Miss have begun to fight. So early! They scream! It's awful! They argue. Little Miss mocks Fo for what she can and can't eat. Doughnuts have now been banned from the house. They push. They pull. They "argue". They whine. It's a constant struggle to keep my cool - and I lose a lot.
The other day in the car I was praying, "Lord, I don't know how to put up with these kids! I am losing my mind!"
And as I prayed about all the struggles, I saw myself in these little ones. I, too, am selfish. I, too, whine about what I can and can't have.
I, too, try to tell others what to do.
I, too, fight with and say hurtful things to my own sister.
Oh my.
How does God stand me at all?
I'm in a Bible study on Romans (and will be for the next year!) and it's just the right study for me now. Paul, indwelt with the Holy Spirit, lays out the entire Gospel from beginning to end. The book is about: sin, salvation, sanctification, selection and service. I will touch on each as we go through and I understand God's Word better.
The main thing I'm seeing this week, that I've always known but still have trouble remembering and grasping is:
We are all sinners.
YOU are a sinner.
I am a sinner.
Not one, from the newest baby to the oldest person, is free from sin.

"There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one." (Romans 3:10-12)
That's the bad news.
I think often, especially in our society, we want to highlight the love of God - and that love is measureless.
Unfortunately we often forget that God is also Holy. Righteous. Sovereign. GOD.
To Him our BEST efforts and deeds are like filthy, soiled rags.
That's the bad news.
We often tell the Good News-Jesus Christ died for us! He lives! We can live with Him!
That's all very exciting, but doesn't mean much if we don't know the bad news.
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 3:23)
I will talk more about both in the coming weeks, but I've been face to face with my own sin this week. My own desperate need for a Savior. And I have One. I have hope. I have been forgiven. That doesn't mean I won't make mistakes while I'm here in this body. But, there is hope for life eternal with Him.
There is good news, my friends!
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23,24
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
I want to stop being hesitant to talk about the bad news...for without it, how will we ever see the need for (and amazing riches of!) the Good News?