"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." { Romans 8:1}

A lighthouse up against the rocks. The rocks are a barrier in case the light isn't enough to keep boats from danger. The light is great for far away, but what if you are under the light?We should know better than to be under the rays of the light. If you crash into the rocks because you didn't heed the warning light, you can't be thinking clearly.

All of us think at some point in our lives that we can handle life without the warning light. What a poor choice! All of us have been made with a God- shaped vacuum inside our hearts. Our God is not a crutch as some might think, but the Lord God Almighty, who declares "Let there be light," and the sun shone for the very first time. Our Lord and Savior is the one and only who declared the oceans and skies into existence. He holds all the world in just the right place, the right angle from the sun so that it does not burn up the land.

When we step out of God's covering, we can burn up, change direction and fall into destruction, just like the boat that decides it doesn't need the light. Why does our scripture for today tell us that there is no condemnation? We need to hear this! We condemn ourselves all too often. Forget about your neighbor spewing out negative remarks, our own hearts can do a good job of this, at least that was my life for far too long. We are speaking about those who walk in the Spirit, not others who are outside Christ. The enemy will try to shame us into thinking any wrong-doing will cancel us out of God's love and affection.

Our own wicked hearts need to be restored, and made clean, and that is where discipleship comes in. We never grow out of our need to follow close behind our Lord Jesus. Some may want to point out our every wrong, and sham us for it, but not God. He uses His rolling pin to work us over and over again until we are ready for use. He doesn't have to say much, but he uses our circumstances to speak volumes. "Come along now, my child, this is necessary. You must be made whole. Listen to my word, one step, one day at a time." Every day is important in the process of making us whole. One day we realize, that we no longer think negative thoughts about ourselves, and we receive God's love more readily. We don't see the dailiness of restoration, but the Spirit of God is at work, rolling us, mending us working in us!