grace.
According to Webster, grace means…
unmerited,
divine,
assistance
given
humans for their regeneration or
sanctification.
grace.
We can’t earn it. It’s completely unmerited.
We can’t be good enough. It envolves divine intervention.
We can’t get salvation on our own. It requires assistance.
We can’t go get it. It’s given freely.
We can’t control it. Sanctification comes only through Jesus.
grace.
Just accept it.
One of the things that I do that Melissa has to call me out on every now and then is using the same towel for too long.
I don’t know why, but I hate using a fresh towel.
There’s just something odd about it for me.
And so, I use the same one for a few days (weeks) in a row.
Eventually, the towel begins to stink to the point that Melissa is forced to tell me I have to wash it.
I don’t know what it is, but I bet you have a habit kinda like this.
Something that you think, “That’s GROSS!” when you hear that someone else does it, but it doesn’t seem that bad because you’re the one doing it.
That’s kinda the way we think about our sins.
We think….
If I’m doing it, it’s not that bad…
At least I’m not doing ____ like ____.
The problem?
When we compare ourselves with others, we’ll always be able to find someone that seems worse than us.
When we compare ourselves to God, that towel suddently smells worse… His towels are fresh and white.
This is a call for us to all work on ourselves.
If we all do that, we won’t have time to call anyone else out on their dirty towel.
We all have at least one.
We rarely talk about them.
We spend the majority of our time trying to hide them from others that have the same one.
Insecurities.
What I’m insecure about may not be what you’re insecure about.
What I’m insecure about in myself may never be noticed by you.
But we have them.
I’m insecure about two things particular.
My weight.
My age.
My weight because I used to be a lot bigger than I am now and I never wanna go back.
My age because I often feel like I lack credibility when speaking to certain issues.
And so I try to cover them up.
I hate taking my shirt off around people because I feel like everyone is thinking I’m fat.
I often fail to speak out because I don’t have the experience to back it up.
But I don’t want to be insecure about these things.
I want to be confident in myself.
I want to realize that experience will come.
And so I fight it.
Just like you.
I keep reminding myself that God sees me through the perfection of Jesus.
That He looks at the heart.
That what little experience I do have can be combined with His Word to make a difference.
You need to remind yourself of the same.
Insecurities.
We all have em…
What are you insecure about?
It’s always been an often asked question…
“What’s God’s will for my life?”
In other words, the question is really this..
“What’s God’s specific plan for my life?”
“What am I here for?”
The question is a solid and valid question, but the answers we often come up with are less valid.
People answer this question in many ways,
For some, they say that it’s God’s will for me to marry and have kids.
For some, they say that it’s God’s will for me to speak to thousands.
For some, they say that it’s God’s will for me to be happy.
All of these things may fit into God’s will, but I think there’s more.
Here’s some insight into discovering the real answer to the question…
God’s plan for you will always promote His purpose.
His purpose is people.
His purpose is eternal.
His purpose is healing.
His purpose is hope.
His purpose is love.
Ultimately, ours MUST be too.
We live in a messed up world.
People have taken something that is so easy and revolutionary and turned it into something complicated and regular.
Here are 5 signs that what you have isn’t Jesus, but something else…
1. You believe that people around you are suddenly unworthy of your company because you’re a “Christian.” (Mark 1:40-45)
2. You’ve locked yourself up in a bubble of Christian people. You make no effort to build relationships outside of the faith. (Matthew 9:10)
3. You have an easy time following Jesus. (Mark 8:35)
4. You believe that you don’t have to give to a local church because it’s YOUR money. (1 Corithians 10:26)
5. You believe that it’s possible to “go overboard” for Jesus. (Matthew 22:36-40)
Any more to add?
