Because of His Grace

Eph 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast."

The Christian understanding of Grace is that it is unmerited mercy that God gave to us by sending his son to die on a cross to give us eternal salvation. Grace is God doing good for us that we have not earned or deserve. 


While throwing beads from a float in a pre-Mardi Gras parade, I learned a lesson about grace. We have to buy the beads we throw and they aren't cheap when you consider how many you need for a 5 mile ride. I expected the crowd to be pleased and thankful for our efforts to make them happy when receiving the "gifts" we threw to them.


People were lined up several rows deep with their hands out yelling, "throw us beads or throw us cups or throw us a toy." Some just stood or sat and made no effort to catch anything we threw. Some were loaded with items around their necks and in bags, but grabbed at all they could catch, even stepping in front of elderly persons or children. Some showed their anger when we didn't give them what they were asking for. A few, but not many, impressed me when they said, "thank you."


This was supposed to be a happy, fun day. I was becoming angry at the selfish ingrates who were hanging on like leeches trying to get what they did not earn or deserve. I looked into the face of a woman about my age who was obviously either shy about grabbing for beads or was just enjoying watching the parade. She didn't have any beads around her neck. I purposefully threw her a string but a large man with several pounds of beads hanging around his neck jumped in front of her and grabbed the beads.


I was furious. I yelled at him, "Those beads are for her." I doubt he heard me because I had on a mask, but I'm sure my eyes and pointing finger gave him the message.


A few minutes later I was trying to throw to some children standing in the front of the crowd. A teenager reached in front of a little girl, but after a slight pause, gave the beads to her. Suddenly it hit me. This is like God's grace. 


I thought about the times God was trying to answer my prayer and gave me something besides what I wanted and how I reacted to Him. I thought about the times I jumped in front of Him to get what I wanted when He was not responding quickly enough for me. I thought about the times I just stood there with my hands out begging and didn't realize He had already blessed me. I thought about the times I got angry with Him because someone else had gotten what I wanted. I thought about the times I failed to give Him thanks and praise for what He had given me.


All the time, he stays with me, regardless of my mood and continues on our journey together with loving patience, cheerfully blessing me with love and mercy and compassion. He also blesses me with wisdom and understanding in every day situations as he did in this revelation while I was begrudgingly throwing Mardi Gras beads from a float. 

2 Cor 5:18-19 "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

His Grace My Faith: When We Desire Human Approval More Than God's Glor...

His Grace My Faith: When We Desire Human Approval More Than God's Glor...: " 'On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn't come ou..."

When We Desire Human Approval More Than God's Glory

 ^"On the other hand, a considerable number from the ranks of the leaders did believe. But because of the Pharisees, they didn't come out in the open with it. They were afraid of getting kicked out of the meeting place. When push came to shove they cared more for human approval than for God's glory."

John 12:42-43 (The Message)

As we read John's words, I'm sure our thoughts go directly to the political upheavel our leaders, elected or appointed, seem to be causing. It has become daily conversation and is resulting in animosity between Christian believers with differing political views. It is reducing faith in our country and in some ways faith in God as the Supreme Leader. But it also carries another message. 

John was making a reference to Isaiah's message after seeing God's light that would pour out through the Messiah, "Their eyes are blinded, their hearts are hardened so that they COULDN'T SEE with their hearts and turn to me, God, so I could heal them." Who, then, needs healing?

This is not a message just for our country's leaders. What about our school, community, corporate, and church leaders? We have heard and seen decline in many institutions thru those who speak to the desire of human hearts for having what they want. Believing the messages that dance around sin and focus more energy on prosperity than God's grace and redemption through Christ's blood, would probably be considered by Isaiah the beginning of the hardening of the heart. If we don't see prosperity coming quickly and as we desire, many will reject God and blame their disappointments and loss on Him.  Those who consider their earthy gain as coming from their hard work or intelligence probably can't see with their hearts either or share either love or giving from their hearts.

It is easy to get caught up in things not from God, but from our own blindness and peer pressure, today's pharisees. How many times have we leaned on the desire for earthly gain in doing our jobs, raising our kids and spending time in spiritually draining activities? How many times have we patted ourselves on our own backs instead of giving God the glory? Or gave credit to our CEO, college or training instead of praising God for the gifts He gave us? How many opportunites have we lost to share Jesus and God's love for fear of loosing a friend, or a job where our core beliefs would be a turn off to management and peers.

My weakened faith came afer experiencing several losses close together and feelings of God's rejection. I withdrew into my hiding place and out of the open witness  for the Lord. The result was feelings of guilt, letting God down, rejection by Him and lowered self-esteem. It's one thing not to have knowledge, but another to not appropriately use the knowledge I've been given. Hanging out with folks who didn't recognize the importance of belief and trusting in God was a huge stumbling block and provided a false sense of acceptance and security. 

Why would I give up faith and accept fear as my motivator? It seemed easier than risking rejection. When I finally began to surrender back to the Lord, I came back to His Word for advice and counsel and found a group of friends with whom I could share my love for the Lord without restraint. I could again bask in God's glory and give Him all the praise without concern for acceptance except from Him. 

I am now more  focused on doing all things for His Glory instead of for human approval. The more I accept and know God, the more I accept and know myself. I'm seeing others as God sees them, not thru the judgement of a heart hardened by earthly disappointment, but a heart filled with His joy and peace. Praise God for His healing of my mind, heart and spirit. This is true freedom.

His Grace My Faith: Sifted Like Wheat or Saved By Unfailing Faith

His Grace My Faith: Sifted Like Wheat or Saved By Unfailing Faith: "'Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail and when you have turned..."

Sifted Like Wheat or Saved By Unfailing Faith

"Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail and when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." 

Luke 22:31

This was written for me! How many times have I allowed satan to sift me as wheat? Probably as many times as it takes to make a lifetime of bread. And the result was periods of drifting here and there and getting myself into all sorts of difficulties and often feeling that God was not there for me or answering my prayers. Sneaky satan was constantly weakening my faith to hold me in bondage to him.

For years I had not realized that Jesus said he was praying for Simon when he was showing weakness. Does that mean the Lord himself prays that MY faith will not fail?  Does that mean that while satan tries to destroy my faith, that the Lord himself is battling him to strenghten my faith?

Those times when satan was sifting me like chaf in the wind, my confidence and self-esteem were destroyed.  My life was a daily struggle, trying to lean on my own weakening strength. I was hanging onto a broken crutch that could never hold me up or give me the balance I needed. I was drained of energy, creativity, joy or any effectiveness. I had nothing to give.

When my faith was restored, I was leaning on the Rock of my Salvation. I became focused on the cross and it's gift of life everlasting. As I spent less time in satan's slavery, my confidence and self-esteem blossomed. 

Back in Jesus loving arms, I was back in the family of God where I belonged instead of flitting here and there, serving satan's whims. God loved me enough to send His son, Jesus, to pray with me that my faith would not fail. Only through His love can I grow in faith so I can strengthen others. 

Sifted Like Wheat or Saved By Unfailing Faith

"Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail and when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." 

Luke 22:31

This was written for me! How many times have I allowed satan to sift me as wheat? Probably as many times as it takes to make a lifetime of bread. And the result was periods of drifting here and there and getting myself into all sorts of difficulties and often feeling that God was not there for me or answering my prayers. Sneaky satan was constantly weakening my faith to hold me in bondage to him.

For years I had not realized that Jesus said he was praying for Simon when he was showing weakness. Does that mean the Lord himself prays that MY faith will not fail?  Does that mean that while satan tries to destroy my faith, that the Lord himself is battling him to strenghten my faith?

Those times when satan was sifting me like chaf in the wind, my confidence and self-esteem were destroyed.  My life was a daily struggle, trying to lean on my own weakening strength. I was hanging onto a broken crutch that could never hold me up or give me the balance I needed. I was drained of energy, creativity, joy or any effectiveness. I had nothing to give.

When my faith was restored, I was leaning on the Rock of my Salvation. I became focused on the cross and it's gift of life everlasting. As I spent less time in satan's slavery, my confidence and self-esteem blossomed. 

Back in Jesus loving arms, I was back in the family of God where I belonged instead of flitting here and there, serving satan's whims. God loved me enough to send His son, Jesus, to pray with me that my faith would not fail. Only through His love can I grow in faith so I can strengthen others. 

Replacing Fear with Love

“Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears.”1 John 4:18

Think about it, "where God's love is, there is no fear."  What are the things you most fear? For me it is things like loss and abandonment. When I act on the fears, I usually lose the very thing I want. Why, because when I fear I'll loose, I hang on more tightly to controlling what I fear I am loosing.

Love is not made perfect in the one who fears because their goal becomes one of control, not love. God has given us free will. He does not choose to control us. Rather he chooses to perfect us in his love.

If you fear you are loosing something, look at the sitiuation?  Are you hanging onto it too tightly? Are you not letting it breathe? Is it being suffocated by you? Are you actually driving it away by tightening the hold?

So many relationships are destroyed by trying to control them. Jobs can be lost by trying to control instead of letting go so the employees can perform their own talents and skills. Kids turn to drugs as a way of escaping what they perceive as being controlled, yet the drugs become the controller. That happens a lot. Control becomes the controller. Think about it.

Without fear, we are free to experience what love has to offer us. It is love that leads to peace and peace leads to greater skill and productivity. So replace control with love, and you'll get what you want. Loving loosely is the key word. Then loosely replaces loosing.

Let God show the way. He loved us so much he gave his son to die on the cross for our sins. He could have stopped it. But he let go in love for the end result. So give all your control to him. He sees the end from the beginning. Just love him and let him love you you. His love will drive out all fear and you can breathe freely and live freely in peace.

Good Goals Bring Good Days

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Phil. 4:8

I don't do resolutions, but I have set a goal to make every day count for the good eluded to in the above scripture verse.....good thoughts, good food, good exercise, good friends, good writing, good reading, etc., etc. If "good" is my goal each day, I think I've set a realistic and measureable goal for the year and will indeed enjoy "gooooood days." 

We are already into the third day of the New Year. 2011 is already passing as quickly as 2010 did. So far what I have to show for it is encouraging words to a couple of friends having difficulties, sharing cabbage and black-eyed peas on New Years Day for blessings of money and good luck, participation in yesterday's church service as a lector and sharing some positive thoughts on FB.  Then yesterday after church, I was attacked by a URI and feel miserable. I couldn't go exercise this morning. But hold on. I forgot something good already, I cleaned off some of the clutter around my desk so I have a clear path to writing and actually feel better sitting up at my computer. A minor illness can result in taking good action.

One of my very favorite motivational speakers is Ed Foreman. Within 3 minutes of being in his presence you can feel his positive energy radiating from deep inside out. The best part is that it is catching. One of his favorite topics is his recipe for a good day, pronounced "goooooood day."

He begins and ends his day with positive thoughts. He doesn't dwell on negative thoughts, opinions or people. He doesn't get caught up in the bad news of the day, especially when he can't solve the problem. He eats good, healthy food and gets good exercise beginning with an early morning walk with reflection on the good day he will be having. When I was working, I kept his recipe hanging on my bulletin board or in a visible place so I could check on my progress through out the day. It is finally implanted in my mind so I can DO the things he recommends instead of just reading them.

Following through is the real key to success whether keeping a resolution or completing a goal. Again, scripture has something to say about that. We have a savior who cares so much for us that he gave up his life for us. He is part of our creation and has great plans for us. Therefore, when we set our goals in accordance with His will for our lives, we can count on his help through daily prayer and meditation. Don't forget to add this goal to having a good day.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2