The lie of condemnation

I recently read a survey where a preacher asked for a show of hands from his congregation in response to three questions that he asked. The first question was, "How many of you know that God is love?" Most everyone in the room raised their hands. The second question was "How many of you know that God loves you personally?" Fewer people raised their hands. The last question was, "How many of you experience God's love in tangible ways on a regular basis?" Only a few people in the room raised their hands. The preacher concluded that the explanation in many cases for the gap that exists between knowing that God is love and actually experiencing God's love on a regular basis is often the lie of condemnation. People somehow seem to believe that God is always mad at them or that they can't measure up. Somehow it is easy to believe that God saves us by grace, and yet we believe that we are sanctified by good works. I have been amazed at how this performance oriented philosophy has bled over into my own belief system. My husband has encouraged me for over a year now to start a ladies' Bible study and share with others some of the things that I believe God has taught me over the years. Although we have only met a few times and though it is quite informal, I have just recently had a chance to begin this endeavor. I have found it quite amazing that among the seven of us who have met, we all have some of the same heart issues. The focus of the Bible study has not been to encourage women to perform in order to be accepted by God, but rather to bask in God's love and see him perform through them in their lives. I had one particular lady tell me that her daughter noticed that she and her husband had not been arguing as much since she had started coming to the Bible study. I thought that interesting because we never discussed the importance of respecting one's husband, tirelessly giving of one's self to their husband or winning one's husband by the conversation of the wives. Although some women respond positively to hearing these wonderful Biblical truths, some women only feel further condemned when they know things aren't quite right in those areas of their lives. Condemnation does not empower us to do what God wants us to do; it only makes us feel helpless to change. True conviction draws us to God, knowing that HE alone will give us the power to do what he has asked us to do. When this woman was able to bask in God's love, she relaxed as she rested in the Lord, and the rest that came to her spirit is what enabled her to keep peace with her husband. She explained to me that she had always felt that all her marriage problems were her fault and this lie had driven her to perform in her flesh rather than let God's spirit flow through her spirit. This is one of the most beautiful things that the Lord is teaching me. I have also found this to be true in my own life. As long as I am working from his love instead of for his love, I am at rest and at peace, but as soon as I lose sight of this concept, my relationships start to suffer. God has been so gracious to teach me this truth about condemnation verses conviction. It makes me want to bask in his love over and over again.