I don't know about you, but I had a way of getting myself grounded! The day or the evening started out well enough, with lots of fun, but then, curfew time came and went! It always happened at the best part of the fun that I was having.

I knew what would happen when I got home, and figuring that I was already in trouble, I might as well make it worthwhile, right?

Sure enough, when I got home, my mom and dad (but usually just my mom) were there ready with the questions, and then, the verdict and the punishment: guilty and grounded for two weeks. Once in a blue moon, I would get a spanking. I did respect my dad because he would give me a little talk, including "This is going to hurt me more than you." Then he would give me a choice: "Do you want to stand or bend over my knee?" He would leave me in my room to think about the whole situation and the lesson hopefully learned. In fifteen or twenty minutes, he would call me out and give me a hug, and we never heard about it again.

I never heard the word "forgiven". My mom had a way of reminding me of the wrongs that I had done. I'm not sure how, but she usually knew something about the circumstances before I got home, and then, of course, the questions with the wrong answers only made things worse for me. I never did learn simply to tell the truth because she would know the answers already.

But I am so thankful that I have a heavenly Father Who knows me inside and out and still wants to have a relationship with me. When I say "Yes" to Him, I am forgiven, once and for all.

In the beginning of this new, precious relationship, I heard about being grounded! What? No — grounded in the Word, learning more and more about Jesus.

Ephesians 3:17-19 – So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (ESV)

2 Timothy 3:14-17 – But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)

With Christ, I am forgiven; I am His. Being grounded in the Word and in His love, I have the guidance and the written proof of who I am in Christ. I can come to Him when I make a mistake and know that He understands and forgives.

How do we handle those self-serving urges to do whatever or go wherever, regardless of the curfews that the Word gives us? Let us learn from past mistakes and know that we can honestly come to the Father and repent. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to handle those curfews successfully.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your endless mercy! How You deal with us and our continual mistakes is beyond comprehension. You know the end result, and we thank You for Your patience and love as we stumble through life. We are thankful for Your Word that helps us to stay grounded. Help us to be even more grounded. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Brenda Vargas <brendalovespico@gmail.com>
Pico, Azores
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