"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4:7
Jars of clay ... earthen vessels ... pottery ... cracked pots. Many descriptions that all seem profoundly appropriate. What are you today?
Perhaps you are a jar of clay. Not yet formed ... or re-formed as the case may be. "...so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him ... Jeremiah 18:4". Are you in a season of life where the Potter is re-shaping and re-molding? Are you willing to be held and shaped by the Hands of a Master Potter? Have you become so hardened that you are no longer pliable? Is God wanting to do a transforming work in your life but you are unyeilding? Has life so hardened your shape that He is unable to form you into the jar He wishes you to be?
Maybe today is a time of being that earthen vessel. A time of being filled. Perhaps the painful work of molding and forming has passed and you are now being prepared for use. Is the Father cleaning you out and preparing your vessel to be filled by Him for His use? Is He filling you up with Himself? Is your vessel available or does He have some work to do to prepare you? Maybe your vessel has been sitting on a shelf and has gathered dust and cobwebs. Or perhaps you've been using your vessel according to your own plans and it is filled with the things of the flesh. Have you given yourself over to be filled by Him for His purposes?
Pottery. Useful for serving others. Providing food and water. Blessing those at the table with sustenance. Being used to serve those around you. You are full to overflowing with the power and presence of the One Who is pouring Himself out through you into the lives of others. No longer just sitting on the shelf, but prepared, filled and useful in serving others.
And then there are the cracked pots. You've been in the Potter's Hands many times ... re-molded, re-shaped, re-formed ... always willing to be fitted for a new purpose ... pliable, malleable. You've served others before. But have those you've served been careless? Perhaps you've been chipped and pieces broken away by life's experiences. There may have even been those moments when you've found yourself shattered into a million pieces on the floor. You wonder if you'll ever be put back together. You wonder if you can ever be a useful vessel again. Surely you are so broken, even though glued back together, the vessel will never again be able to contain it's contents. There are holes and cracks. How can the Potter even begin to make you useful again?
I've recently started painting ... not houses, but pictures! I'm not very good at it, but I certainly enjoy the distraction. My latest artistic adventure was to paint three cracked pots. They have obviously been long discarded as they are out in the dirt with grass (NOT the easiest thing to paint!) growing up around them. They are no longer useful for anything except a still-life. I've chosen to hang that painting in my office. I find myself looking at it and wondering about the life of those pots. Who has used them and why? What have they served? Who have they served? What family events have they blessed? Have they fed a hungry man or quenched the thirst of a parched woman? Have they been filled with beautiful wildflowers to brighten the room of one who is dying?
Where do you find yourself today? Where are you in your journey with the Potter? Listen. Respond. Yield.
... more tomorrow.
Be blessed!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
And God said, "Let there be FAITH!"
Although you won't find this quote directly, there are many, many times when God calls His people to an extraordinary faith. Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains ... God's faithfulness is new every morning ... we walk by faith not by sight ... it is by grace we are saved through faith ...
I am convinced that God always enjoys pushing our faith. These days, I think my faith is being pushed beyond my capability to respond thusly. However, it is my faith and trust in Him that brings Him the greatest delight.
My current family of three (living under one roof) is enjoying our summer staycation. For those unfamiliar with this word, it is going on vacation without the going ... it is enjoying activities and excursions usually embarked upon from a distant location via plane flights, long drives and hotels, but from the comfort of one's own home. With the exception of no room service, so far, our staycation has been fun. Our choice to explore from our home base has its foundation purely in economics. For today, our four children NOT living under our roof have significantly depleted our vacation fund, thus sending us into the world of "creative traveling." And I must admit, our journey today was just such an adventure. We enjoyed outer space OUTSIDE our own Milky Way Galaxy, swimming with a variety of sharks in a number of wonderful locations, archaeological digs, a trip through the Old West on a cattle drive, a journey through the Barnett Shale while North Texas was underwater and, my favorite (or maybe NOT), an opportunity to experience the ultimate thrill stunts!
It is "Adrenaline Rush" that is my subject ... an OmniMax movie that truly captures the reality of its title. Experiencing, in my opinion, the BEST OnmiMax on the planet (I think it may be the original in North Texas) presenting such a feature film did just what it promised ... I'm just now coming down from the rush!
As the experience occurred in the Museum of Natural SCIENCE and History in Forth Worth, Texas, let me tell you what I learned about adrenaline. It is a hormone released as our brain's neurotransmitters release serotonin into our brain. There are MAO's that float around up there somewhere. Some people have a lesser amount of MAO's ... they tend to be those who thrive on activities that use great amounts of adrenaline ... in other words, THRILL-SEEKERS.
As I am not one of those ... I'm convinced I actually have an overabundance of MAO's. I have NO need for thrills beyond what normal life provides me ... I experienced enough of a rush simply driving back to Dallas during rush hour. That should give you some idea of just how little it takes to produce plenty of serotonin for my taste! After an hour of more parachute jumps than I can recount, we ended our adventure on a mountain range in Norway. Probably the craziest people on the planet, actually took us Base Jumping. For those of you NOT "in the know", Base Jumping is when someone stands on a perfectly secure mountain and jumps off of a cliff. They do have a parachute, but I'm not sure how they remain conscious in order to pull the rip-cord. We ended our adventure with a real opportunity to see how it would feel to stand there, then jump. The camera took us over the edge of the cliff, into the 4,000+ foot ravine, where, you'll be glad to know, our parachute did open and we landed safely.
"What does this story have to do with faith?" you may be asking. Well, as I watched I wondered just how brave I really am. I was reminded of the book of Joshua where God told Joshua more than once to be courageous. Not to be terrified or discouraged. But be strong and courageous. Although I don't think God wants to test my "faith" by asking me to Base Jump, I do think He may ask me to step off a ledge in my life when I'm not quite sure where I'll land. As we stood on that ledge in the movie and waited to take the first step into the unknown, I have to say, my adrenaline was rushing. I had all the physiological markers of fear and uncertainty.
What is God asking you to do today? Where is He calling out to you to jump from? Is He asking you to leave your comfort zone and join Him on an adventure into the great unknown? Is He asking you to step off a ledge when all you see are clouds below you? Does He want you to follow a dream or passion He has given you that you've never had the courage to pursue?
What does courageous faith look like in your life? You may be flying along in a perfectly safe airplane ... familiar, tested, proven, predictable ... a seasoned pilot in charge. Doesn't take much faith to remain in the plane does it? But is God asking you to open the door, strap on your chute and jump? Seems crazy, doesn't it? Great risk requires great faith. What giant step of faith is God asking you to take? Are you willing to take that step and trust Him with the result? I've often heard that when God asks you to step off the edge of the cliff, He'll either provide a place for your foot to land, or give you wings to fly. I think I'm ready to take that step. I'm ready to soar with wings as eagles. What about you?
Be blessed, dear friend!
I am convinced that God always enjoys pushing our faith. These days, I think my faith is being pushed beyond my capability to respond thusly. However, it is my faith and trust in Him that brings Him the greatest delight.
My current family of three (living under one roof) is enjoying our summer staycation. For those unfamiliar with this word, it is going on vacation without the going ... it is enjoying activities and excursions usually embarked upon from a distant location via plane flights, long drives and hotels, but from the comfort of one's own home. With the exception of no room service, so far, our staycation has been fun. Our choice to explore from our home base has its foundation purely in economics. For today, our four children NOT living under our roof have significantly depleted our vacation fund, thus sending us into the world of "creative traveling." And I must admit, our journey today was just such an adventure. We enjoyed outer space OUTSIDE our own Milky Way Galaxy, swimming with a variety of sharks in a number of wonderful locations, archaeological digs, a trip through the Old West on a cattle drive, a journey through the Barnett Shale while North Texas was underwater and, my favorite (or maybe NOT), an opportunity to experience the ultimate thrill stunts!
It is "Adrenaline Rush" that is my subject ... an OmniMax movie that truly captures the reality of its title. Experiencing, in my opinion, the BEST OnmiMax on the planet (I think it may be the original in North Texas) presenting such a feature film did just what it promised ... I'm just now coming down from the rush!
As the experience occurred in the Museum of Natural SCIENCE and History in Forth Worth, Texas, let me tell you what I learned about adrenaline. It is a hormone released as our brain's neurotransmitters release serotonin into our brain. There are MAO's that float around up there somewhere. Some people have a lesser amount of MAO's ... they tend to be those who thrive on activities that use great amounts of adrenaline ... in other words, THRILL-SEEKERS.
As I am not one of those ... I'm convinced I actually have an overabundance of MAO's. I have NO need for thrills beyond what normal life provides me ... I experienced enough of a rush simply driving back to Dallas during rush hour. That should give you some idea of just how little it takes to produce plenty of serotonin for my taste! After an hour of more parachute jumps than I can recount, we ended our adventure on a mountain range in Norway. Probably the craziest people on the planet, actually took us Base Jumping. For those of you NOT "in the know", Base Jumping is when someone stands on a perfectly secure mountain and jumps off of a cliff. They do have a parachute, but I'm not sure how they remain conscious in order to pull the rip-cord. We ended our adventure with a real opportunity to see how it would feel to stand there, then jump. The camera took us over the edge of the cliff, into the 4,000+ foot ravine, where, you'll be glad to know, our parachute did open and we landed safely.
"What does this story have to do with faith?" you may be asking. Well, as I watched I wondered just how brave I really am. I was reminded of the book of Joshua where God told Joshua more than once to be courageous. Not to be terrified or discouraged. But be strong and courageous. Although I don't think God wants to test my "faith" by asking me to Base Jump, I do think He may ask me to step off a ledge in my life when I'm not quite sure where I'll land. As we stood on that ledge in the movie and waited to take the first step into the unknown, I have to say, my adrenaline was rushing. I had all the physiological markers of fear and uncertainty.
What is God asking you to do today? Where is He calling out to you to jump from? Is He asking you to leave your comfort zone and join Him on an adventure into the great unknown? Is He asking you to step off a ledge when all you see are clouds below you? Does He want you to follow a dream or passion He has given you that you've never had the courage to pursue?
What does courageous faith look like in your life? You may be flying along in a perfectly safe airplane ... familiar, tested, proven, predictable ... a seasoned pilot in charge. Doesn't take much faith to remain in the plane does it? But is God asking you to open the door, strap on your chute and jump? Seems crazy, doesn't it? Great risk requires great faith. What giant step of faith is God asking you to take? Are you willing to take that step and trust Him with the result? I've often heard that when God asks you to step off the edge of the cliff, He'll either provide a place for your foot to land, or give you wings to fly. I think I'm ready to take that step. I'm ready to soar with wings as eagles. What about you?
Be blessed, dear friend!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
God Watches the Sparrows ...
These days, I'm feeling a lot like a sparrow. I love to spend time outside. I love my garden. I love to just sit and enjoy my surroundings. I suppose as the years advance, I've become more aware of the little things I usually fly right past ... like the birds ... as long as they stay out of my strawberries. But, nevertheless, I love listening to them and watching them. I'm awed by the beauty of the doves and robins and cardinals. We even have quite a few hummingbirds. It's funny though. The birds that don't cause me to stop and look are the sparrows. Not particularly God's most awe-inspiring creation. Their voice isn't anything to write home about. They aren't beautifully colored or large or unique in any way. Just small, non-descript, brown birds.
I find myself feeling much the same way these days. Small, non-descript ... no beautiful color or voice that would turn heads. Yet, in scripture, God uses the example of the sparrow to tell us how very much He cares for us.
I am up this morning, early, to share a true-life sparrow story. In case I'm not the only small, non-descript, colorless sparrow out there, I hope this will encourage you, as it did me.
Last weekend, my youngest son and I dedicated an entire Saturday afternoon to cleaning out his room. And boy did we clean. The back of my van is loaded with charitable donations ... from toys to school supplies to clothes. I was feeling really good about the accomplishment until last night. I talked to my Mom because my son is going home with them after school today to spend the weekend in celebration of the end of school. We were making the logistic plans when she mentioned some computer game gifts cards he had gotten from my sister for Christmas. She wanted him to bring them so he could play on their computer. You know grandmothers actually take time to watch the weather for the next seven days so they'll know how to plan. Maybe I'll be that organized someday! But immediately my mind began a "mental search" for the gift cards. I hung up the phone, drug myself upstairs with one goal ... to find those cards. My son, of course, was already asleep, so I turned on a lamp in his room and began the search. He opened his eyes and I asked him about the gift cards. His weary finger pointed to a red drawer in a small bookshelf. His head fell back on the pillow. I opened the drawer, knowing that we had cleaned out the contents and replaced them with the supplies for his latest craft endeavor. I spent a few more minutes looking in other places, knowing all along that the cards weren't there.
I went to bed thinking about those silly cards. Where could they be? I would have NEVER gotten rid of perfectly good gift cards! What would I tell his grandmother tomorrow? How irresponsible I am that I can't keep up with four gift cards? Just before I collapsed into my nightly coma, I told God how great it would be if He would find those cards for me. I had no idea where to look.
5:00am. God woke me up. Go look in the big green trash can, He said. The cards are in the trash bag where you put all those old coloring books. I looked at the clock. I knew I would not be able to go back to sleep. So I tip-toed out of bed (if I woke my husband he would surely think I was crazy for digging through trash at 5am), and went to the garage. Yesterday was trash day, but I'd noticed our trashcan wasn't out at the curb when I got home. It has been an unusually hectic week, and with the holiday, I thought my husband had simply forgotten to take it out. But, when I looked, the trashcan was gone from it's home in the garage. Where was it?
After the fog began to lift from my mind, I thought, why would he put out the trash today? Trash day was yesterday? Then it hit me. The holiday. Monday was a holiday, so trash day is delayed a day. I looked out the front window and there it was, parked by the curb. Well, I had no choice but to go rummage through it. I decided to use the street lights and moon to illumine my search, so I would leave it on the street. I also determined that putting on clothes would be a good a idea in case an over-zealous police officer were to consider me a vandal. As I dressed, my mind rehearsed the trash that had been put in the big green can throughout the week.
As I dug (to the very bottom, of course), I was relieved to find, with the exception of a few dried up weeds out of the yard, all the bags still neatly tied. I pulled out a bag and knew it was the one containing the discarded coloring books. I began my search, grateful that all the bag's contents were only paper and cardboard! Funny how a grown woman can get so excited over something so minor. When my eyes spotted those cards, you'd have thought I'd won the lottery.
Coming back inside and slipping back into bed, I was suddenly overcome with God's love for me. I had to get up and come share it. As I thought about four gift cards that had been lovingly purchased and had provided so much enjoyment for my son, I realized just how personal God is. I had prayed and asked Him to help me find what was lost. You see, one of the Old Testament names for God is "El-Roi". That means "The God Who Sees." Remember the story of Sarah and Hagar? Sarah had been barren when God promised Abraham, her husband that they would have descendants numbering more than the stars in the sky. When Abraham told Sarah what God had said, she laughed ... she was already very old and had never borne a child. Then she decided to take God's promise into her own hands, and give her hand-maiden, Hagar, to Abraham. That way Abraham could have a child with her instead. That really wasn't the way God had planned, and after Hagar had conceived Abraham's child, Sarah became angry and jealous and had Abraham send Hagar away. As the exile was sitting in the desert, God spoke to Hagar and told her that He saw her and the pain and despair that she was experiencing. (Genesis 16).
I have called upon my El-Roi many times to help me through really rough seasons. I know finding lost gift cards seems trivial when so many people need a true miracle to simply survive. But what I think God showed me in this small experience is how intimately involved He is in my life. He cares about the little things in my life, and He does take time to listen and answer my prayer. I was also reminded about how beautifully He orchestrates the timing of our life. Had there not been a Monday holiday, the trash would have already gone. Had my Mom not asked about the gift cards, we wouldn't have thought about them until after school was out and it would have been too late.
I'm asking God for some really big things these days. Sometimes I can grow weary and discouraged as I pray. Then, I have an experience like this. God reminds me that He is there listening and answering my prayers. He has the circumstances in the palm of His Hand. His timing is absolutely perfect. He uses even the small things to reveal Himself, His nature and His character to me.
"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:6-8
Be blessed today, fellow sparrows!
I find myself feeling much the same way these days. Small, non-descript ... no beautiful color or voice that would turn heads. Yet, in scripture, God uses the example of the sparrow to tell us how very much He cares for us.
I am up this morning, early, to share a true-life sparrow story. In case I'm not the only small, non-descript, colorless sparrow out there, I hope this will encourage you, as it did me.
Last weekend, my youngest son and I dedicated an entire Saturday afternoon to cleaning out his room. And boy did we clean. The back of my van is loaded with charitable donations ... from toys to school supplies to clothes. I was feeling really good about the accomplishment until last night. I talked to my Mom because my son is going home with them after school today to spend the weekend in celebration of the end of school. We were making the logistic plans when she mentioned some computer game gifts cards he had gotten from my sister for Christmas. She wanted him to bring them so he could play on their computer. You know grandmothers actually take time to watch the weather for the next seven days so they'll know how to plan. Maybe I'll be that organized someday! But immediately my mind began a "mental search" for the gift cards. I hung up the phone, drug myself upstairs with one goal ... to find those cards. My son, of course, was already asleep, so I turned on a lamp in his room and began the search. He opened his eyes and I asked him about the gift cards. His weary finger pointed to a red drawer in a small bookshelf. His head fell back on the pillow. I opened the drawer, knowing that we had cleaned out the contents and replaced them with the supplies for his latest craft endeavor. I spent a few more minutes looking in other places, knowing all along that the cards weren't there.
I went to bed thinking about those silly cards. Where could they be? I would have NEVER gotten rid of perfectly good gift cards! What would I tell his grandmother tomorrow? How irresponsible I am that I can't keep up with four gift cards? Just before I collapsed into my nightly coma, I told God how great it would be if He would find those cards for me. I had no idea where to look.
5:00am. God woke me up. Go look in the big green trash can, He said. The cards are in the trash bag where you put all those old coloring books. I looked at the clock. I knew I would not be able to go back to sleep. So I tip-toed out of bed (if I woke my husband he would surely think I was crazy for digging through trash at 5am), and went to the garage. Yesterday was trash day, but I'd noticed our trashcan wasn't out at the curb when I got home. It has been an unusually hectic week, and with the holiday, I thought my husband had simply forgotten to take it out. But, when I looked, the trashcan was gone from it's home in the garage. Where was it?
After the fog began to lift from my mind, I thought, why would he put out the trash today? Trash day was yesterday? Then it hit me. The holiday. Monday was a holiday, so trash day is delayed a day. I looked out the front window and there it was, parked by the curb. Well, I had no choice but to go rummage through it. I decided to use the street lights and moon to illumine my search, so I would leave it on the street. I also determined that putting on clothes would be a good a idea in case an over-zealous police officer were to consider me a vandal. As I dressed, my mind rehearsed the trash that had been put in the big green can throughout the week.
As I dug (to the very bottom, of course), I was relieved to find, with the exception of a few dried up weeds out of the yard, all the bags still neatly tied. I pulled out a bag and knew it was the one containing the discarded coloring books. I began my search, grateful that all the bag's contents were only paper and cardboard! Funny how a grown woman can get so excited over something so minor. When my eyes spotted those cards, you'd have thought I'd won the lottery.
Coming back inside and slipping back into bed, I was suddenly overcome with God's love for me. I had to get up and come share it. As I thought about four gift cards that had been lovingly purchased and had provided so much enjoyment for my son, I realized just how personal God is. I had prayed and asked Him to help me find what was lost. You see, one of the Old Testament names for God is "El-Roi". That means "The God Who Sees." Remember the story of Sarah and Hagar? Sarah had been barren when God promised Abraham, her husband that they would have descendants numbering more than the stars in the sky. When Abraham told Sarah what God had said, she laughed ... she was already very old and had never borne a child. Then she decided to take God's promise into her own hands, and give her hand-maiden, Hagar, to Abraham. That way Abraham could have a child with her instead. That really wasn't the way God had planned, and after Hagar had conceived Abraham's child, Sarah became angry and jealous and had Abraham send Hagar away. As the exile was sitting in the desert, God spoke to Hagar and told her that He saw her and the pain and despair that she was experiencing. (Genesis 16).
I have called upon my El-Roi many times to help me through really rough seasons. I know finding lost gift cards seems trivial when so many people need a true miracle to simply survive. But what I think God showed me in this small experience is how intimately involved He is in my life. He cares about the little things in my life, and He does take time to listen and answer my prayer. I was also reminded about how beautifully He orchestrates the timing of our life. Had there not been a Monday holiday, the trash would have already gone. Had my Mom not asked about the gift cards, we wouldn't have thought about them until after school was out and it would have been too late.
I'm asking God for some really big things these days. Sometimes I can grow weary and discouraged as I pray. Then, I have an experience like this. God reminds me that He is there listening and answering my prayers. He has the circumstances in the palm of His Hand. His timing is absolutely perfect. He uses even the small things to reveal Himself, His nature and His character to me.
"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:6-8
Be blessed today, fellow sparrows!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
What's in a day?
Today I am struck with the dichotomous nature of life. As I ponder the meaning of this day in my own life, I'm taken back 28 years. I was excited beyond belief. I couldn't wait until this afternoon. I was going to meet my fiance at the airport. We were getting married on Saturday. What a day! Breathless excitement ... infectious anticipation ... and yes, a sprinkling of anxiety. I was starting a brand new adventure!
Fast forward 15 years. Same day. Different experiences. I found myself sitting by the bedside of the same person. He had been unconscious for 2 days. Each breath became more labored. The apnea increased. I waited longer each time for him to draw the next breath. Then, at 10am, he did it. He broke free from the fetters of a sick and dying body, to be given a life that each of us who accept Christ's gift can only dream of ... he met his Savior face-to-face. While the rejoicing began anew in the heavenlies, my grief intensified in the temporal.
As I reflect on the adventure that we experience in this life, thankfully, there is one constant. There is a very personal God Who walks beside us each and every step of the way. He was there in 1982 to rejoice with me and usher me down the aisle of my new adventure, and He was there in 1997, beside me in my bedroom, holding me up as my heart was audibly breaking.
That's the beauty of a life following Christ. I believe we ALL experience life circumstances that run the gamut. We have moments of inexpressible joy as well as seasons of heartbreak and paralyzing grief, no matter who we are or what we profess. The difference? The Savior. We never experience any of life alone if we allow Him to walk with us. His word reminds us that He is our El Shaddai ... THE All-Sufficient One. There isn't a need we have that He can't fill. There isn't an emotion we experience that He isn't there to share. There isn't a circumstance we encounter that He doesn't have what we need to either enjoy it to its fullest, or endure its deepest valley.
Are you pondering your life as you read this? What has He shown you in your most dichotomous times? How has He revealed Himself to you in each of the seasons of your life? Oh, how He desires to walk this life with you. How deeply He loves you. How closely He wants to keep you. Perhaps this day is the day you renew your adventure with the Savior!
Fast forward 15 years. Same day. Different experiences. I found myself sitting by the bedside of the same person. He had been unconscious for 2 days. Each breath became more labored. The apnea increased. I waited longer each time for him to draw the next breath. Then, at 10am, he did it. He broke free from the fetters of a sick and dying body, to be given a life that each of us who accept Christ's gift can only dream of ... he met his Savior face-to-face. While the rejoicing began anew in the heavenlies, my grief intensified in the temporal.
As I reflect on the adventure that we experience in this life, thankfully, there is one constant. There is a very personal God Who walks beside us each and every step of the way. He was there in 1982 to rejoice with me and usher me down the aisle of my new adventure, and He was there in 1997, beside me in my bedroom, holding me up as my heart was audibly breaking.
That's the beauty of a life following Christ. I believe we ALL experience life circumstances that run the gamut. We have moments of inexpressible joy as well as seasons of heartbreak and paralyzing grief, no matter who we are or what we profess. The difference? The Savior. We never experience any of life alone if we allow Him to walk with us. His word reminds us that He is our El Shaddai ... THE All-Sufficient One. There isn't a need we have that He can't fill. There isn't an emotion we experience that He isn't there to share. There isn't a circumstance we encounter that He doesn't have what we need to either enjoy it to its fullest, or endure its deepest valley.
Are you pondering your life as you read this? What has He shown you in your most dichotomous times? How has He revealed Himself to you in each of the seasons of your life? Oh, how He desires to walk this life with you. How deeply He loves you. How closely He wants to keep you. Perhaps this day is the day you renew your adventure with the Savior!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Courageous Grace
I wonder if you ever feel discouraged. I know I do. And it seems a bit strange I suppose, but I am often most discouraged about myself when I encounter those who seem to be accomplished. The very people who should be an encouragement, are often the standard that skews my own perspective. You know, those people who seem to be perfect wives and mothers ... those who are successful in their chosen vocation ... those who seem to "have it all together."
I think the enemy takes great delight in feeding our human nature that seeks to compete. And exactly what are we competing with? Is it really others who are to set the standard for our own self-worth? What would God say about our pity-party as we allow our spirits to be down-cast when we feel as though we don't measure up?
I'm learning a lot about grace these days. I'm not one who is very good at grace ... at either end ... giving or receiving. I'm much more about truth and justice. But as I read more about Jesus, and as I allow Him to walk this life beside me, I'm learning more and more that He is all about grace. Oh, He's all about truth too, but the truth seems to be evident in the hearts of those to whom He extends grace. In other words, it is His grace, which reveals the truth we carry in our own hearts. If He is my example, then perhaps I, too, should be more about grace and let the truth do its own convicting. Somewhere we've gotten the idea that grace is something we earn ... something for which we can obtain worthiness. Grace, by definition is in fact, just the opposite. It is the unmerited favor of God. Nothing any of us do can make us worthy of receiving unconditional grace from a completely Holy God. He extends grace to us simply because we are His and He loves us, faults and all.
Imagine the freedom we would experience if we could really live a grace-centered life. A life where we allowed ourselves to live in the grace that God extends to us.
"And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 reminds us that Christ embodied all that is grace and all that is truth. However, as He walked the earth and encountered the sinner, I don't hear words of condemnation pouring forth from His lips. He speaks a language of grace, yet the truth in the heart of the sinner brings conviction and repentance.
As you walk along your path today, I'm wondering if you've allowed the enemy to speak words of judgement and condemnation into your heart. Yes, we are sinful. Yes, Christ desires that we see our sin, ask forgiveness and turn away to walk in the Light. Yet so often, we get stuck in our own cycle of self-condemnation. Today, allow yourself to be set free to hear the voice of Grace in your life. Christ didn't come to condemn but to save. He didn't come to burden us with the law, but to set us free in His love. Allow His grace to be your freedom today. Ask Him to allow you to see not only yourself, but others as well through His Eyes of Grace.
Be Blessed!
I think the enemy takes great delight in feeding our human nature that seeks to compete. And exactly what are we competing with? Is it really others who are to set the standard for our own self-worth? What would God say about our pity-party as we allow our spirits to be down-cast when we feel as though we don't measure up?
I'm learning a lot about grace these days. I'm not one who is very good at grace ... at either end ... giving or receiving. I'm much more about truth and justice. But as I read more about Jesus, and as I allow Him to walk this life beside me, I'm learning more and more that He is all about grace. Oh, He's all about truth too, but the truth seems to be evident in the hearts of those to whom He extends grace. In other words, it is His grace, which reveals the truth we carry in our own hearts. If He is my example, then perhaps I, too, should be more about grace and let the truth do its own convicting. Somewhere we've gotten the idea that grace is something we earn ... something for which we can obtain worthiness. Grace, by definition is in fact, just the opposite. It is the unmerited favor of God. Nothing any of us do can make us worthy of receiving unconditional grace from a completely Holy God. He extends grace to us simply because we are His and He loves us, faults and all.
Imagine the freedom we would experience if we could really live a grace-centered life. A life where we allowed ourselves to live in the grace that God extends to us.
"And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14 reminds us that Christ embodied all that is grace and all that is truth. However, as He walked the earth and encountered the sinner, I don't hear words of condemnation pouring forth from His lips. He speaks a language of grace, yet the truth in the heart of the sinner brings conviction and repentance.
As you walk along your path today, I'm wondering if you've allowed the enemy to speak words of judgement and condemnation into your heart. Yes, we are sinful. Yes, Christ desires that we see our sin, ask forgiveness and turn away to walk in the Light. Yet so often, we get stuck in our own cycle of self-condemnation. Today, allow yourself to be set free to hear the voice of Grace in your life. Christ didn't come to condemn but to save. He didn't come to burden us with the law, but to set us free in His love. Allow His grace to be your freedom today. Ask Him to allow you to see not only yourself, but others as well through His Eyes of Grace.
Be Blessed!
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