Treasuring Christ: The joy and The Freedom it Brings

So last Sunday evening  was women's ministry.... and it was awesome. I mean, I don't know if I could have come away more encouraged. I was the winner of the lovely flowers at my table... and also a book that seems to be written just for me, Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full: Gospel Meditations for Busy Moms by Gloria Furman.

I keep stopping and reading and then stopping and re-reading it. It's powerful. Convicting. And so refreshing, encouraging, inspiring. Reminders of truth hit me like wave after wave of grace. Rolling over me. Grounding me in truth... not my feelings. Although I do feel happy reading it. But that reminder that whether or not my experiences or emotions line up with truth, the truth still remains, unchanged, fixed, assuring.

I'm learning firsthand how turning to the world for comfort and strength just leaves me dissatisfied and weak. God has used our family's physical circumstances to point me to the one great permanent circumstance in my life-The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
When your eyes are fixed on the horizon of eternity, it affects your vision for motherhood. We need to have eyes to see a view of God that is so big and so glorious that it transforms our perspective of motherhood. In the context of eternity, where Christ is doing his work of regning over the cosmos, we need to see our mundane moments for what they really are-- worship.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit includes bringing our subjective insecurities as mothers in line with the objective reality of our eternal security in Christ. AS mothers we need to train ourselves to focus on the things that are unseen and eternal. AS we struggle to maintain the perspective and even as we fail to struggle, relenting to the the temptation toward apathy, we must look to God's Word and believe it, even if we can't feel it.
A mother's work is holy unto the Lord. As mothers we look to Jesus not only as our example; we also see that He is our power to love God and our chidlren. Because Christ has done for us what we could never do for ourselves, with this power we can ask forgiveness of our children when we sin against them, because God in Christ has forgiven us (Matt. 6:12-15; Mark 11:25; Col. 3:13). With his power we can humble ourselves in our work as mothers, because no one ever displayed more humility than our Redeemer as he abandoned his right to stay in heaven and died the death we deserve (Phil. 2:3-8). With his power we can pursue our family with sacrificial love, because the Son gladly submitted to the Father's will (John 4:20, 23; 14:30-31). And even when we fail ot love as he loves, he is our righteousness.

And these sections I've quoted are just from the Introduction!!! I can't wait to dig in more.

In addition to this book the message that Tambra gave us was exceptional. It gave me such a renewed and encouraging understanding of the Gospel. I felt bathed in God's love. His tender kindness and mercy has become so large in my mind that it has overshadowed the circumstances in my life that often tempt me to despair.

Something deep in me has clicked. Something has set me free. It's not that anything has changed in my circumstances... but being reminded of the truths of the Gospel has brought such freedom and joy. A reminder of the blessing that comes in knowing Christ... and being set free to love Him and serve Him with abandon... but not driven by guilt or condemnation but by Freedom. I am free to Love Him!!!!

So thankful.

And even when the high of the emotions fade. And even when I catch myself sinning.Even when I'm harsh with my kids or unloving.... these things are true. God remains unchanging in His thoughts, feelings, and purposes for me! So grateful.

Dancing in my heart this morning. Hope you will be too...

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