And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

So I've been meaning to write this blog for a while. About a month ago, I had the privilege of playing bass in the worship band on Monday morning for all staff worship. We were in the middle of a pretty quiet song that only had like 3-4 chords and I butchered about 5 or 6 chord changes almost in succession. And while I was a little self conscious since it was much easier to notice due to the quiet nature of the song. But as I continued to play, I heard the Lord say, "It's okay to make mistakes."

Now don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm NOT saying it's okay to blatantly sin. I'm saying you don't have to beat yourself up for your sin and mistakes. Jesus already took that beating for you. How stupid would it be if I had messed up those bass chords, took my bass off in the middle of the song, and went and sat in the corner and marinated in the lies that,

"I'm not a good bass player" "I don't deserve to play bass"

"How can I call myself a bass player if I messed up such a simple song"

"I shouldn't mess up like this anymore, since it's such a basic song." 

Yet how many times have I done that in my spiritual life! More than I care to count or admit. I'd either give in to temptation or say something stupid or potentially hurtful, or act out of fear, then beat myself up for messing up, wondering what the heck's the matter with me for not responding the way I should of. 

However, the beauty of Christ's sacrifice and His grace and mercy is that it didn't end when I got reborn. It continues to follow me everywhere I go. Continues to give me new beginnings. Continues to give me new opportunities to manifest God's love, grace, and power in a world that so desperately needs it. Continues to catch me when I trip and fall. Continues to give me the strength to rise yet again and keep moving forward. I feel like I'm just starting to learn what it means to find my strength in the Lord and live in brokenness before Him. Not always (or rarely) easy, convenient, or comfortable, but His grace has been, is, and will be sufficient for me.