Romans 5:13

Romans 5:13

I do not like hidden costs. When I'm comparing prices, I want to know the real cost involved: I check for shipping charges online, for instance, and include them when deciding where to buy an item I'm looking for. Most of the items I buy (grocery, household, garden, personal) don't have those hidden costs that come up when purchasing something particularly big such as a house or a car. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for my husband handling the decision making for other items such as phone bills where companies quote one price until you commit then add on the taxes and surcharges as if an extra $20 per month wasn't worth mentioning before. I'm also grateful that God doesn't work like that. He doesn't charge us for sins we've committed without realizing they were wrong. He does hold us accountable for what we know is right vs. wrong, but He doesn't look for ways to add up the penalty against us. He knows our hearts and He knows when we try to do the right thing but it all turns out wrong. He knows when others are hurt through our actions and He knows when that hurt is a result of misunderstanding rather than choosing to sin. I am very grateful God allows me to mature as a Christian, discovering as I go along that thoughts and behaviors I've grown used to are maybe hurting others or preventing a closer relationship with the Lord, and need to be left behind now. He doesn't hold me to the standard of perfection I don't even understand yet even while challenging me where I actually am and leading me one step at a time toward the person He wants me to be at the end of my life.