Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

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So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...
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Some are pressed down, some are lifted up......which are you?

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"I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]—then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin." Psalm 32:5

There is something I struggle with A LOT ~ condemnation and conviction. In order to have peace within ourselves, we must learn the difference between condemnation and conviction. God will never condemn us (Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3.18) Condemnation presses us down and manifests as a heavy burden that requires us to pay for our errors. Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit, showing us that we have sinned and inviting us to confess our sins in order to receive forgiveness and God’s help to improve our behavior in the future. Condemnation makes the problem worse; conviction is intended to lift us out of it.

When we feel guilty, the first thing we need to do is ask our self if we are guilty according to God’s Word and perhaps we really are. If that's the case, we must confess our sin to God, turn away from that sin and not repeat it. If we need to apologize to someone we have wronged, then we need to do it. Then . . . we must  forgive our self and let go of it! God already forgave us and if we refuse to do the same, then we’ll miss out on the joy of redemption that God wants us all to experience.

Sometimes we may well find that we are not guilty according to God’s Word. For example, I  feel guilty when I try to sit and rest. I have to always be actively doing something like cleaning, crafting or something similar because I feel good when I was accomplish something.  If I'm not doing something productive, I feel guilty just sitting around.......this thinking is totally wrong according to God’s Word, heck even Even He rested from His work of creation. He has invited us to enter into that same rest. The guilt I feel when I try to rest is unscriptural, irrational, and downright ridiculous.

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to trust You and Your Word.  Reveal to me when my guilt is false and my thinking is wrong.  Show me when and how to forgive others as well as myself and then let it go!  In your Holy precious name I pray, Amen.

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