God’s Wondrous Grace

Do you struggle with feeling unworthy? Do you have low self-esteem? Do you believe there is no way God can forgive or love you? What if I told you God has already extended His hand and you merely need to reach out to grasp it?

There are people who feel unworthy. They have the false belief they need to be perfect before they choose to accept God’s invitation. They continue to struggle on their own to eliminate the bad behavior and rough edges they have developed over their lifetime.

Folks, we don’t have to struggle on our own. There is no one who is perfect except Jesus Christ. Even some of the greatest of heroes in the Bible committed major offenses but were accepted by God and He turned their lives around. Moses committed murder. David committed adultery. Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him and sold him into slavery. Rahab was a prostitute. Paul persecuted the church before his encounter with Jesus.

No, we are not to continue in our disobedience. But we are not to attempt to fix ourselves on our own. God knows we are weak human beings. He knows we need His help. That is why He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us. We need His help to become the person God designed us to be.

Accept God’s grace. He gives it freely because of Jesus’ willingness to be a perfect sacrifice to take away our sins. We don’t deserve it and can never deserve it. That is why it is called grace. God forgives our sins. He moves into our lives and changes us. The change doesn’t happen at the snap of our fingers, but it does take place as we continue to build our relationship with Him.

I pray we all decide to accept God’s grace. I pray we understand we cannot make the change on our own. I pray each one of us ask God to fill us with His Spirit as Jesus promised. Accept God’s grace. Know you cannot change on your own. Become the person God designed you to be. 

Romans 3:21-24 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Light of Love

How well do you love? Have you thought about how you project your love? Would others know you love them if you could never speak again? What would the answers be if they were put to the test using a lie detector machine?

It has been said there are three versions of ourselves. The person we think we are. The person others think we are. And the person we really are. The key to combining these three into one and the same is to have a solid foundation.

A solid foundation begins with good principles. When our foundation is based on God’s principles, we have a good foundation. Love is God’s number one principle. Unfortunately, our definition of love isn’t necessarily the same as God’s. Our definition includes emotion, feelings, and maybe dedication.

God’s definition of love includes patience, kindness, selflessness, humbleness, self-control, forgiveness, grace, protection, trust, hope, and perseverance. That’s quite a list, isn’t it? Have you ever defined love that way? God does and He wants us to learn to love by His definition.

As parents, we learn some of these traits of God’s definition. However, we only progress so far on our own. To grow more loving, becoming more like Jesus, requires us to submit to Him. When we submit, He takes control and we become the beacon of light He wants us to be.

Light is attractive. Light is powerful. Light throws the darkness back. Love is the light of Jesus. Love can be the light of our lives. We may never be able to love perfectly as God loves in this mortal life, but we can grow much closer to doing so by submitting to God and make this world a much better place, experiencing the abundant life Christ promised.

I pray we all yearn to be the light of Christ. I pray we submit to God, allowing Him to change us. I pray each one of us will grow in the love of Christ and demonstrate His love to others. Submit to God. Allow Him to change you. Grow in love. Be a light in a dark world. 

1 Corinthians 13:6-7 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love Hopes

What do you hope for? Is your hope solid? Or is your hope more akin to wishful thinking? Do you know your hope can be assured when you put your hope in Jesus? Will you put your hope in His promises?

We have become accustomed to using the word hope to mean wish. We will say that we hope for this or that, not really believing it will happen. Our confidence in hope has waned. Yet, there is a hope that comes from our belief in Jesus that is more than wishful thinking.

Our hope in Jesus grows out of our love for Him. Our love grows deeper as we get to know Him. We get to know Him by spending time with Him. We can spend time with Him by reading His Word and praying.

We put our hope in other people as well. We put hope in our spouses, parents, children, and friends. Although, we refer to our hope as confidence and trust. What is the difference in the hope and confidence we have in people we trust versus our hope in Christ? We can see the people in our lives. We don’t see Jesus in the flesh. But that doesn’t make Him any less real or alive. It doesn’t make His promises any less likely to occur.

As Peter states in today’s passage, we are to put our hope in the grace of God, which will be made manifest when Jesus returns. It is our hope in His return, our forgiveness due to His grace, and His grace being fulfilled that gives us confidence in our hope.

Our love for Jesus strengthens our hope in Him. When we love Him, we have hope in His promises, and can be more assured He will fulfill His promises than any other person we put our hope in on this earth. So, put your hope in Him.

I pray we all grow in our knowledge of Jesus Christ. I pray our love for Him grows deeper. I pray we put our hope in Jesus and in His promises. Spend time with Jesus. Get to know Him better. Grow your love for Him. Put your hope in Him. Trust in His promises. Know that He will fulfill them.

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

Love Trusts

What proof do you require to believe? Do you need to see, hear, or touch to believe something is true? Where does that leave love? Where does that leave faith? Are you willing to trust in something or someone you cannot see, hear, or touch?

We have likely heard, and may have said ourselves, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” We are typically referencing something that seems highly unlikely. Based on our experiences, some things are simply hard to believe.

On the other hand, we are more willing to believe what we hear from some people because we have experiences of them telling us the truth. We may call this an earned trust. The person has repeatedly been found to be truthful and we have come to trust them.

Can you think of someone else you can trust, someone you cannot see? Yes, God. Why don’t we trust God more? Perhaps it is the person delivering the message of God we don’t trust rather than God Himself. If that is the case, there is a simple remedy. Read God’s Word for yourself. Get to know Him by reading and studying your Bible.

Why is it important to trust God? If we don’t trust Him, how can we love Him? It makes sense, doesn’t it? We wouldn’t love our spouse if we didn’t trust them. We wouldn’t care about our co-workers if we didn’t trust them. The really good teachers our children love are trustworthy. Trust is key to loving another person and is key to loving God.

As we look at God’s Word, we can see He has repeatedly made promises and fulfilled them. We can believe in Him. We can trust Him. We can believe He loves us, cares for us, and has our best interest at heart. In return, we can trust and love Him.

I pray we all believe God will fulfill His promises. I pray we trust Him. I pray each one of us love God. Read God’s Word. Get to know Him. Believe in Him. Trust He will fulfill His promises. Trust He has your best interest at heart. Love Him as He loves you.

1 Peter 1:8-9 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Love Is Not Puffed Up

Are you a proud person? Do you revel in your achievements? Do you lord your knowledge over others, attempting to impress them or control them? Is a person who is puffed up someone you want to be around?

We fall prey to thinking highly of ourselves. We like to compare ourselves to others and tell ourselves we are better than they are. Yet, we typically do not want to be around someone who looks at us as being inferior.

When we puff ourselves up in our own mind, telling ourselves we are better than so and so, we are not loving as we should. Our hearts may go out to those who are less fortunate, while we puff ourselves up when dealing with our family or someone who has wronged us. We don’t like to see a sports player taunt another and there are rules against it, but we will throw our ability to do something better than someone else in their face.

Demonstrating the love God has for us in our actions toward others means doing so without being puffed up, arrogant, taunting, or showing up someone else. Love does not include false humility but seeing ourselves as God sees us and seeing others as God sees them, then choosing to treat them as a child of God.

As Paul tells the church in Colossae, that mindset is from an unspiritual mind. In other words, we do not have our minds set on God but selfishness and worldly desires. When we are puffed up, we are caught in the web of deceit Satan lays out for us.

How do we keep from falling prey to the temptation? We keep our focus on God. We remind ourselves daily that Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. We remember the pain He went through to grant us the hope and salvation we have.

I pray we all decide to see others as God sees them. I pray we remember what Jesus did for everyone on this earth. I pray each one of us chooses to not be puffed up but love instead. Treat others as you want to be treated. Love others as God loves you. Give up false humility. Do not puff yourself up.

Colossians 2:18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.

Love Does Not Envy

Are you envious of someone? Do you covet what they have, whether material possessions or a relationship? Have you sought out acquiring what they have on your own? Have you asked God to provide for your needs?

Our culture is an envious culture. Think not? Look at what the “cool kids” have and ask how many other kids want the same thing. Observe what the latest fashions are for the music or television stars and see how many people you meet who are wearing something very similar, if not the same thing.

Have you ever known a relationship to be disrupted or perhaps torn apart because someone else wanted a relationship with one of them? I’m guessing most of us have seen it happen or know someone who has seen it happen. It all stems from being envious or jealous, coveting what someone else has.

Being called to love as God loves us does not include being envious. In fact, we are told specifically not to be envious or covetous. Yet, we see it on a regular basis, even within the church. We are called to a higher standard, the standard of Christ.

As James states, our covetousness can cause fights, dissention, splits, and even death. If we are in need, we are to ask God to provide. We are to discern the difference between need and want. Too often, we interpret our wants as needs. We fail to trust God to provide for our needs. We do not trust God to know better than we do. We do not love Him for providing for our needs.

God loves us dearly and desires us to love Him and one another in the same way. When we love as God loves, we do not envy nor covet. We trust God to know what is best for us. We choose, purposely, to be happy for the person who has what we do not.

I pray we all choose to give up our covetousness. I pray we stop being envious. I pray each one of us chooses to love as God loves and be happy for those who have what we do not. Stop quarreling over things. Be happy for one another. Love one another as God loves you.

James 4:2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.

Love Is Patient

Have you ever prayed that God give you patience? Do you know what it means to have patience from God’s perspective? Are you ready to experience the challenges needed to learn to have the patience of God?

We have moments when we ask for patience. Often, it is just for the moment. Someone is doing something we don’t care for and we ask for the patience to get through it. Typically, that means we simply want patience for just a few moments, not a lasting patience.

The word patience Jesus uses in today’s passage and used in other places throughout the New Testament does not have a momentary meaning. It means to be long-suffering. In other words, the ability to withstand a challenge and remain in control for an extended period of time. It also means to maintain both internal and external control. We are to maintain self-control of our internal being and exhibit that control externally to others. Challenging? You bet!

But isn’t this the patience God shows toward us? He patiently waits for us to mature in our belief and following of His Son. If he had no patience, He would have destroyed all of us long ago. God has a goal to save us and continues to work through the happenings of this world to draw us to Him…patiently.

Today’s passage comes from the parable Jesus told of a king who had two servants who worked for him. One owed him money and begged the king to be patient with him and he would repay the king. The word used means he was asking the king to control himself and be long-suffering with the servant. The king agreed to do so. However, the servant would not do the same for his fellow servant. Sounds a lot like people in our world today, doesn’t it?

I pray we all learn self-control. I pray we learn to be long-suffering with our brothers and sisters. I pray each one of us learns to be patient with one another as God is patient with us. Learn self-control. Learn to be long-suffering. Learn to be patient. Know that God is being patient with you.

Matthew 18:26-27 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.”

The Perfect Role Model

Who is your role model? Why is that person your role model? Is it because of a special talent they have? Is it because of their political stance? Is it because of their moral make up? What do you think should be the deciding factor?

People choose a role model for a variety of reasons. Some may choose a role model based on popularity. Some choose based on what others think of the person they choose. Too often the role model we choose is not the best option.

You may not have put a lot of thought into choosing your role model in the past. Perhaps you have chosen a role model based on their special talent. I know I have. As a young boy, my role model was Lou Brock. Why? Because he could steal bases. I loved watching him play for the Cardinals and loved to watch him run. I was lucky to some degree, because Lou was also a great guy and a positive role model. Not all are so lucky to pick a good role model by chance.

Might I suggest we all take a little time to think about who our role models have been and who they are. Might I suggest we think about the type of person they are. Are they morally sound? Do they pursue peace, joy, and love? Or are they stir up chaos, discontent, and hate? A word of caution, their public image is not always who they really are.

Choosing a good role model should be based on who they are, how they treat others, and their moral make up. Not an easy task. Yet, there is one who clearly meets the highest standards. His name is Jesus Christ. He treated people with love, even those who didn’t like Him. He may have reprimanded them at times, but only to put them back on the right track. He ultimately gave His life for every person who has and ever will walk on this earth. Yes, Jesus is the perfect role model. Will you make Him yours?

I pray we all choose to make Jesus our role model. I pray we seek to be more like Him each day. I pray each of us will follow His example when interacting with people, showing His love to everyone we meet. Choose to be like Jesus. Love as Jesus loved. Show His love to others.

Luke 6:27-28 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

One Body

Do you know where you belong today? Where are you accepted? Where do you fit in? What is your position in life? Do you want to know where you belong, where you fit in, what your position is? Do you know you can find it?

In our culture today, it seems as though everyone wants to be an individual, standing out for who they are. Teamwork is rarely seen outside of sports and in some workplaces. Everyone is seeking their place, desiring acceptance.

Paul doesn’t use the word teamwork when describing the church. Instead, he uses an even better word–body. We all understand that our own bodies are made up of different parts. We know our hands serve one purpose, while our feet serve a different one. Our eyes are part of our navigation system, and our ears are part of our early warning system.

We know having all body parts functioning properly and coordinating with one another is key to a full life. It is the same for the body of Christ, our church body. Each one of us has been gifted by the Holy Spirit with one or more gifts for the purpose of edifying and strengthening the body.

Some are gifted to preach. Others are gifted to teach. Still others are gifted to serve. Some of us are gifted to take care of and serve those who are already in the body. Others are gifted to build the body up by reaching out to people and bringing them into the body.

It takes all of us working together as one body, each performing our task based on the gifts we have been given to make the church function as one body. It takes all of us setting aside our personal agendas in order to accomplish God’s plan. It takes each one of us seeing every person we meet as a child of God.

I pray we all see ourselves as a part of one body. I pray we seek to discover our place within the body. I pray each one of us will put our spiritual gifts to work within the body of Christ. Know you are part of the body of Christ. Put your gifts to work. Play your part. Use your gifts. Build up the body.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body–whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Work for Abundance

What are you working for? What is your goal in life? Are you working toward possessions? Are you working toward pleasing your boss? Are you working toward a promotion? Does your job consume you?

Our culture places high importance on status. Status can be obtained through promotions on the job, being a social media influencer, being the star of the team, and even by being the loudest voice in the room. Working to obtain status can consume us.

Why do we work to obtain status in this world? The simple answer we don’t want to hear is, we are shortsighted. We can’t see beyond the nose on our face. The life we live on this earth is no longer than our noses when compared to the eternal life we have promised to us.

In Jesus’ own words, we are not to work for material things, rather we are to work for eternal things. Oh, believe me, I know that is not easy. Especially when we see our friends or co-workers living “the good life.” We fall prey to Satan whispering in our ears that we, too, could have that life. Then we chase after it. Now, please don’t misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with having nice things in our lives. However, when those things become our focus, our drive, the reason for all we do, we no longer have them, but they have us.

Working toward the eternal does not mean we will not have a good life on this earth. In fact, it means just the opposite. Jesus promised an abundant life (John 10:10), if we will follow Him. The abundant life is not the same as “the good life” our friends live, it is far better. Unfortunately, far too many of us don’t see it until we have made a plethora of mistakes in our lives over many years.

I pray we all work for eternity. I pray we seek the abundant life Jesus promised. I pray each one of us commits to Jesus and His teachings in this life. Work for eternity. Give up working for possessions. Commit to Jesus. Live the abundant life. See Jesus’ promise come true today.

John 6:26-27 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”