Do you ever feel frustrated with yourself and your inability to set the example you want for your children to see? I have been struggling with self control in my actions so I can model a lifestyle for my children that will show them what walking with the Lord looks like. I am talking about things like love, joy, patience, compassion, self-control — you know the fruits of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ~ Galatians 5:22-23
I love this verse, because it shows in order, the traits we are to embrace, the way we are to act. Jesus modeled it perfectly. Yet daily, I feel so much guilt and inadequacy at how I measure up in those areas. I pray about it every day, and I do feel myself making slight improvements in my behavior and actions. But, they don’t feel like enough sometimes.
Last night, we were blessed to get an amazing covering of snow — that is rare here before Christmas! It is absolutely beautiful. Snow covering the ground everywhere. I woke up this morning to a bright white illumination despite the early morning darkness. The snow was reflecting the light, and covering everything as far as the eye could see. It was like a white blanket, literally.
I started thinking about Jesus, and His coming to earth in the form of a man, to save us all. To cover us all like a blanket of snow, with his blood, over all our sin. His blood covers us, just like the snow is covering the ground and hiding all the things beneath it. The snow is covering all the brown grass in our yards, the yard toys scattered about and even the trash that never got picked up.
Jesus’ blood is covering all my sin — impatience, lack of joy in life, doubt in His plan for me, lack of love and understanding… I could go on a while. All the sins that I pray that God would deliver me from, the ones that I truly want to change in myself, that are slowly being whittled away.
I have been asking God to reveal to me our next memory verse for the family, there are so many great ones, but I wanted one to really stick. Something that would be pertinent to something going on now, that would make a lasting impression on us all. Well, as a Good Shepherd does, He led me right to it this morning.
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. ~ Isaiah 1:18
Note: If you have little ones, this is a great opportunity to talk to them about Jesus coming in the form of a baby at Christmas, to die on the cross for us, so His blood could cover our sins. Just like the snow covers the earth. I love how God gives us His word in an imagery that we can understand!
