joy-eater

There’s no such thing. And don’t go, “Yeah, but…”

No.

Nope, no no no, nope.

There’s no such thing. We didn’t earn the grace given to us, and there’s no possible way we can do enough in our lifetime to pay God back for all He’s done.

Does that mean you should just stop everything and turn away? No!

All it means is that you need to stop trying to compete with your brothers and sisters in Christ to try to be a ‘good enough’ Christian. It may not seem like it, but that’s what you’re doing; competing. Sometimes, you’re competing with yourself. How so?

When you pray and can’t feel God right there beside you then get angry for not being spiritual enough. When you read a part of the Bible that people usually get emotional over or one that you know is a very important part and you don’t feel the Holy Spirit overtaking you so you get disappointed with yourself because you aren’t feeling what you should. When you are doing something and realize that whatever you are doing isn’t winning people to Christ then you call yourself lazy or some other thing because you’re not doing your job as a Christian.

I know these are things you really can’t stop, but you can fight them. I’m fairly certain that’s the demons of this world trying to pull you away from God’s grace; His undying love for you that says no matter what issues you have, struggled you face, demons you encounter, He is going to be right with you and help you fight them.

Don’t go beating yourself up, praise the Lord! I’m serious! When these thoughts happen, the best way to turn away from them and the demons causing them is to praise the Lord. Sing your favorite worship song! Say some of your favorite verses! Just say, “Thanks, God!”

Don’t try to be a ‘good enough’ Christian because a ‘good enough’ Christian is just a lie the devil made up.

You’re saved.

You’re loved.

♛ Royal July 2017 Photo Challenge

Prince Albert’s ‘favourite picture’ of Queen Victoria, 1843 by Winterhalter. In her diary, Victoria wrote about this ‘secret picture’ she was having painted for Albert’s 24th birthday as a surprise. On the big day, she recorded that-

 ‘he thought it so like, & so beautifully painted. I felt so happy & proud to have found something that gave him so much pleasure’

The painting was then hung in Prince Albert’s Writing Room at Windsor Castle, deep within their private apartments. Today the painting resides at Kensington Palace, where Victoria was born, grew up and meet Albert.

 One thing I would like to note about this painting is that although the central focus here is Victoria and she is dressed very simply, she is wearing a heart-shaped pendant. This is likely her glass, heart-shaped locket that contained a lock of Albert’s hair, which she was supposed to have worn ‘day and night’ before her marriage to Albert. It’s nice to see this little homage in a painting for his eye’s only.