We’ve arrived at Friday grace. Friday grace is grace for ourselves. Friday grace is that we accept ourselves, even love ourselves, with our limitations.
How is that grace? How is that biblical?
I am imperfect. I fail and fall short in so many ways. I know Jesus and I have a pretty good idea what love should look like in many contexts. The thing I know I should do I do not do, and the very thing I know I should not do, that I do. Sound familiar from somewhere? (Romans or your life, you pick.)
Here’s the crazy thing about God: God is not angry at me for falling short. God is not angry with me even though I know better. God does not condemn me for my failures. There is now no condemnation in Christ. No, I’m not taking that out of context. This is precisely the context. Romans 7 goes into Romans 8, thanks be to God. When we complete Romans 8 we know nothing–nothing–can separate us from the love of God, but remember we began at Romans 7 with my massive failure to do what I should do, even though I know better.
Friday grace is I don’t have to hate myself for being imperfect. Friday grace is that I can learn to love my imperfect self because God loves my imperfect self. Is God still working in me to perfect me? Absolutely. But not in a pissy, putting-up-with-this-for-now, kind of passive-aggressive, withholding-approval-until-you-get-it-right way. And if you don’t understand that description I just gave, I’m describing every single one of us who struggles to love ourselves.
God loves me more than I love me, and Friday grace is it’s okay to love myself like God loves me, with the same grace that God shows me.
Welcome to Friday grace.
Love your neighbor as yourself. You know the grace you have been called to show your neighbor. (“And who is my neighbor?”) That’s the grace God offers you. That’s the grace God gives you to show yourself. From you, to you. You can forgive yourself because God has forgiven you. You can show yourself grace because Jesus has taken your sin to show you grace.
Friday grace. You can choose.
Thank you Mike.
Of course, Kelly.
Though it’s strange to be called “Mike” by you. You’re the only one who gets to call me “Michael” other than my mom. 😉
I’m a new subscriber who happens to be “between churches.” Your words are a great help to me as we navigate where we want to go next, so thank you.
Wow. That is a tremendous compliment and exactly what I’d hope for this blog. Thanks for letting me know. Saying a prayer now for your church journey. The path isn’t always what we imagined it would be.
A pleasure to read 🙂
Thanks, Nancy!
After a long summer of messing up and doing a whole lot of things that I know I shouldn’t do, this was refreshing to me. Thank you!
That, oddly enough, is what I’m here for.
You’re welcome, my dear friend.
Thanks. Beautiful, heady truths that lead me to worship and adore and rejoice.
Thank you, Lily. I’m encouraged! May it be so. God is good.
Friday has always been hectic for me as it’s also “preparation” day, as I try to get everything done for the week so I can dedicate the seventh day to God. I need reminding to give myself and others grace . I need reminding that God will love me even when I fail on both days.