“At the same time, you need to know that I carry with me at all times a huge sorrow.” Romans 9:1

What sorrow do you carry with you at all times? The one you cannot seem to be unburdened? Paul, the author of Romans, said his sorrow was the people of Israel. He wanted salvation, not religion, for them and it caused him great sorrow leading to action.

Yesterday while grocery shopping, my youngest asked something that almost made me cry right there on the cookie aisle. She said, “If I act good, can I get a toy?” It is not an act I want from any of our children. I want a response to unconditional love and trust. You better believe she got that five dollar toy and words that reminded her of my love and trust. Performance or an act is not sustainable and is never quite perfected. You can never do enough, be enough to be granted lasting approval and that is what makes salvation from God so life giving to me. I have His unconditional love and trust because of Jesus and will spend my life sharing this with others. For my sorrow is this, that others are trapped in a performance mindset and held captive in approvals prison. Any chance the Lord gives to share the freedom of Jesus, I pray I take and know the sorrow is worth it. For it serves as a great reminder of His sorrow over me when I was not yet free.

*Photo by Anna Kate