Getting acquainted with our ugly

Aren't they cute? These pictures have nothing to do with what's below, but I thought it was more fun to see our little blondies than another picture of my bible and coffee mug :)

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THE WORD...... It reveals just how ugly some parts of our hearts are. Then gives us the chance to acknowledge that, repent, and then my favorite part......let the great GRACE of God come rushing in. 

A chunk of scripture caught my attention the other morning as I was reading in Jeremiah. I added the emphasis. 

"I will give them singleness of heart and action so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them.  I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all of my heart and soul." Jeremiah 32:37-41

Do I have a singleness of heart for the Lord? Do I fear ONLY Him? 

Hm.

Lately, I'm not so sure. If I look at my life and honestly assess it I think the answer would be that I have so been looking outside of HIM for goodness. Looking outside of Him for needs to be met. Practical needs. Emotional needs. And letting other things sit on the throne of my heart. Like worry, confusion, myself, fear of others and their opinions. 

That is my ugly that I'm getting acquainted with. 

Thankfully we don't have to end here.

We get to read on and see that despite all the ugly, He says He will never stop doing good to us and that he rejoices in doing good to us. 

HELLLLLOOOOO GRACE! 

What great, undeserved grace! 

There are so many parts of my heart that wander and seek other things before the Lord. So many corners of my heart that still need his light to shine on them and renew them. But guess what, no matter how far we miss the mark by, it's never greater or larger than God's GRACE. Never. None of our junk ever trumps the amount of grace available. 

Oh his grace. 

It busts in my life like police busting down a door. It fills every crack I try so hard to cover up and fill in myself. Just when I feel ashamed for how much I need Him, He overwhelms my heart with unconditional love. And says keep bringing me your need, I'll never run out of mercy and time to fill it. 


And THIS is why we should get acquainted with our ugly. Because it is only when we've been honest with what our "ugly" is that it can be swarmed with God's grace. If we hide it, it can't be given grace. If we never acknowledge it, He can't show us that we don't have to be ashamed. If we never let it come up, we can't be free of it. 

"Honesty is trying to heal me, not hurt me" -Present over Perfect, Shauna Niequist.

Isn't that so true?

• Those forgiven much, love much. (Luke 7:47)
• "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely be his grace through the redemption that came by christ Jesus." Romans 3:23
• "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in Love.....he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Pslam 103:8,10-12