Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.     Galatians 1:3-5
 

I have lost count of the number of times and ways I have heard the Gospel shared and explained.  We hear it every Sunday – usually from our husbands – and does it ever lose its luster?  Do the variations start to seem dull?    Our husbands are probably thinking, “How can I say it this week?  In a different way?  In a new light?”  I thought the same thing as I sat down to write this month’s E-votion because I have once again realized what a horrible person I am.

I am a horrible pastor’s wife.  I can’t keep my mouth shut.  I often lack the wisdom to know when to act and when to stay still.  I can’t help myself.  It’s my personality.  This is me.  Accept me for who I am.  And who I am is a horrible person.  A sinner.  An awful, hurtful, ridiculous, little sinner.  I was utterly convicted of this fact once again last week when I wish I would have kept my mouth shut and wish I could have done a few things differently.  And then I felt like this Sunday’s sermon was directed right at me.  I sat convicted all over again as my husband preached on Galatians 1. 

Maybe a few of you might be able to relate.  Not using the most tact in a situation or letting your pride get the better of you.  Every day we battle our own personalities against what we know to be right.  And it seems worse when we mess up because it also reflects on our husband and his ministry as well as our own relationships.
So where does the Gospel fit in, you ask?  I am once again amazed at how big the Gospel is.  Every week, or day, or minute when I realize another sin I am guilty of, the Gospel just gets bigger, including “that one” too.  There is no sin, too great or too small, that escapes the Gospel.  Jesus has us covered.  He “gave himself for our sins to rescue us… according to the will of our God and Father.”  How incredible is that?  He gave Himself.  I still can’t get over the beauty of that gift.  And it was the will of our Father in heaven that His son should be sacrificed.  All for me.  A horrible, awful, pastor’s wife, who should seriously know better.  I don’t deserve any of it.

I look in the mirror and see sins.  I look in my church and see sinners.  I look in my society and in my world.  I quit watching the news because of sin.  It’s overwhelming!  But towering over and above, higher than any mountain on any planet in any galaxy is Grace, a grace so deep that all our sins compared to that love and that mercy are like the size of planet earth in comparison to the Milky Way Galaxy or all the galaxies in the sky!

So here’s a message to all the horrible little pastor’s wives out there—you know who you are.  Grace has got you covered.  Grace is big enough, our Savior’s loving kindness is more than big enough to redeem, renew, wash, and leave you pure and holy.  So start today fresh and clean, a brand new soul, ready to share that Gospel good news with the world.