Crushed by Grace

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:6-9 NIV).

Once we have experienced grace, everything changes! We change. Our lives change. " However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace" (Act.20:244 NIV).

Life becomes infinitely easier and at the same time infinitely more difficult!  Grace tells us we are saved, redeemed, guaranteed heaven.  Grace also, though, holds us to a higher standard! Once we accept God's grace, we are called to live a life without sin. Of course God knows we are not perfect--except through and because of His grace!

"[Humble Service in the Body of Christ] For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you" (Romans 12:3 NIV).

Grace-filled believers humble themselves - placing others and their needs above themselves and their own needs.  Grace compels us to stop, think, breathe before we speak or act.  'What would Jesus do?' becomes more than just a slogan, it becomes a hallmark and a beacon for how to live.

"[Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ]  What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" (Romans 6:1 NIV)

Grace compels us to stop sinning. Beseeches us not to conform to society (to be in and not of the world). Grace bids us to be silent when our words will hurt - or add to the godless noise of the world. Grace urges us to speak up and speak out even when ours may be the only voice heard on behalf of another. Grace expects us to never stop hoping, never stop believing, never doubt its power. 

Grace can crush us with the burden of being so unworthy and yet so valued and loved by a God who is not blind to our sin rather who sees above and beyond it. He sees us in our perfect state, and even though we will never be able to achieve perfection - we are perfect in His eyes - because we are His.

A lump of coal becomes a diamond by being crushed and refined and perfected. I thank God that He love us enough to crush and refine and perfect us through and because of His grace.

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Be Set Free From Your Infirmity

"and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God" (Luke 13:11-13).

"When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them" (Luke 7:36-38 NIV).

Spiritual bondage is the state of being spiritually bound so that you cannot function or live the way you were designed to function and live . . . The root cause of the spiritual problem is idolatry in one form or another. (wiki.answers.com)

All of us are in bondage to somone or something. We all worship "false gods." God makes it very clear He does not want to share our affection or adoration with any other person or thing! And yet, because we are human, we cannot help ourselves. Even when we know we are in bondage to this sin, we often feel powerless to break the bond.

But God, in the form of Jesus Christ, swoops in to help us. Because He became human, He understands our human propensity to sin--and our weakness in the flesh to break our bondage. When we face our sinfulness, we are like the woman with the alabaster jar--offering that thing which keeps us in bondage up to God--that which keeps us from a right relationship with Him.

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory" (Romans 8:12-17 NIV).

My prayer for you is that you call out to God, begging Him to help you break the bondage of sin. And that you rejoice that you are an heir of God and co-heir with Christ.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Grace Abounds

"Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned -- sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the effect of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:12-17 NRSV).

In other words: God’s grace turns our world upside down! It’s just not logical to be loved in spite of our sin! It doesn’t make sense that no matter how defiant and disobedient we are, God loves us all the more! How can that be?! It seems so improbable that God in the form of Jesus Christ would walk the earth among us and stand in silence before his accusers. Why didn’t he defend himself? Why didn’t he lift his eyes to heaven and call out to his Heavenly father! Why?

Why did he do that? Why would anyone? It is inexplicable to be loved so powerfully! It is unfathomable that a God so big would love us so very much. It is unimaginable that we are of such great value to one so great and mighty! The One who made the earth and placed the stars in the sky--the One who waits for us in heaven -- Alpha and Omega -- is the One who watches over us and cares for us and loves us through this journey called life on earth.

But again, we must ask, “Why?” I don’t know! I love my children beyond description -- and my husband. I would certainly die for any of them. But would I die for you? Would I silently walk up that hill to be hung on a cross for my neighbor across the street? Or for the person in the check out line at the grocery store? Or the mechanic who works on my car? Would you?

I hope you spend today reveling in truth that Jesus died for you.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Dandelion Sin

The dandelion is a perennial, herbaceous plant with long, lance-shaped leaves. They're so deeply toothed, they gave the plant its name in Old French: Dent-de-lion means lion's tooth in Old French.

Dandelions have beautiful, soft yellow flowers. They are the color of sunshine and would seemingly make me happy just to see them. I am, after all, someone who just loves the sun. (In fact during the winter when I spend so much time indoors and it is rainy/snowy here in Virginia, I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder from lack of sunlight.) But I digress!

Dandelions are edible and have powerful, curative powers. I know this. However I don't eat them, nor do I boil the leaves to make a broth, nor for any other purpose. So for me, they are a problem to be solved; a challenge to be undertaken; an inconvenience to be dealt with.


You can't just pull up a dandelion by the leaves, giving it a good, quick yank! Yikes, no! You must push away any grass, rocks, or anything else that is between the surface of the ground and the stem/root.


Then you must skillfully dig your fingers in as deeply as you can and twist, twist, twist until you have pulled up the entire dandelion root system. Unless you remove it completely, it will regenerate. If you break off more pieces than you unearth, the dandelion wins.

"Dandelions are especially well-adapted to a modern world of "disturbed habitats," such as lawns and sunny, open places. They were even introduced into the Midwest from Europe to provide food for the imported honeybees in early spring. They now grow virtually worldwide. Dandelions spread further, are more difficult to exterminate, and grow under more under adverse circumstances than most competitors." (http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Dandelion.html)

Today, I spent time unearthing these intruders upon my "disturbed habitat" otherwise known as my perennial garden. I couldn't help but think about how firmly rooted and difficult to uproot the sin in our lives can be--just like the dandelion. Sometimes our actions or thoughts take on a pretty disguise. Sometimes we can even talk ourselves into thinking that what we are doing is not so bad. "How can anything so much fun/so enjoyable/so attractive/so soothing/so distracting be sinful?"

That is Satan talking to us. He is at the root of that dandelion sin. He digs in deep and settles in for the long haul. He's adaptable; he's hard to exterminate too. He crops up under adverse circumstances -- just when we are at our weakest -- or at our strongest! Yes, sometimes we begin to rely upon ourselves and Satan loves to take advantage of that lie as well.

The deeper we allow the roots of sin to grow, the more difficult it becomes for us to root it out. We have to work even harder and more skillfully, with more intention and determination to dig out all the way to the bottom of that stem.

We all know what happens when a dandelion is left to itself and grows undeterred: A beautiful white "puff ball" of dandelion seeds waits for a good strong wind and multiplies itself a hundred times over.

That's why its crucial to keep ourselves in check. We must stay in the Word, read our bibles, associate with other Christians who are on the right path. If we mingle with those who live "of the world" we will become worldy, prone toward sin. We need to weed out all the sin in our lives as soon as we become aware of it. That is when we must ask God to take away all of our sin -- to root out even the parts we can't see, that part that may have worked its way under the surface and taken a firm hold.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7 NIV)

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22 NIV)

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 NIV)

God's All-Surpassing Grace

Growing up I was taught that there are different "levels" of sin. The teaching was that some sins are less offensive to God than others. For instance, I learned that telling a lie wasn't nearly as bad as murdering someone, so it wasn't as egregious in God's eyes.

On some level, that still makes sense to me. Obviously murder is wrong in just about everyone's book! Don't think I'll get much argument there. But what about those lesser sins? Well, to my mind they are almost worse because we tend to adopt an attitude of "Well, at least I . . ." That's a dangerous attitude, don't you think!?

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Romans 12:3 NIV)

We've been having conversations at our house about Kaylee Anthony. That is a sad story--beyond sad. My husband commented the other evening that it was just impossible for him to imagine the grief of that grandfather. He brought it right home when he said, "Just think about what we would have missed." We have two beautiful children. We have rejoiced in them and reveled in their lives from the moment they were conceived. How sad it would have been to have missed a single moment. Our lives just would not have been complete.

I am struggling with forgiving that baby's mom. Really struggling. I have realized that she is mentally unstable, but I still struggle. I have had to turn my struggle over to God because I know I have sinned--continue to sin--on a regular basis. It would be so easy for me to say, "At least I didn't murder my child."

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8)

But did I yell at one of them out of my own impatience? Did I criticize my spouse because something wasn't done to my specifications? Did I covet the possessions of a friend or neighbor? Did I complain albeit to myself (and God) that I don't have as much as I would like to have? Have I rushed ahead of God, failing to wait on Him and His word? Have I ommitted my morning prayer time because I had "too much to do" before I started my day?

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:7 NIV)

Oh! In that case, I have no right to judge another--even a murderer. Really. Sin is sin. It all breaks God's heart. Every time I do or act like the scenarios I posed in the previous paragraph, I send an arrow directly into the heart of God. The exact same size and shape as the arrows of other sinners.

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. (Psalm 79:9)

This morning I have committed to try to replace my judgement of the poor, mentally ill young mother who killed her child to the grandparents who adored that baby. As my husband said, we know what they will miss out on because we have a beautiful daughter who is now a young adult. We know how good and full and blessed a life can be. And we grieve that those grandparents won't have that to look forward to.

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! (Romans 5:15)

I thank God for His grace, which saves me from my sin. I think I have enough for which to ask God's forgiveness without deciding anyone else's sin is beyond His grace. That in and of itself is sinful!

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. (Titus 2:11 NIV)

God's Heartbreak

My heart broke today. Not for myself. Not even for the three children I care for who are in varying stages of ear/nose/throat and intestinal issues. For some unexplained reason, my heart broke for God. When I realized the feeling that flooded over me I remember actually shaking my head at myself!

First of all, I asked myself how I could even begin to understand how God feels? Well of course I can't but the Spirit gave me a glimpse today. As I said, the three little ones for whom I care have not been feeling well. Between the three of them, someone has thrown up at least every other day for the past two weeks. Now we've moved on to ear infections and runny noses and just general yuckiness.

At one point this morning sister was sprawled on the couch just within my reach so I could rub her back. One of the boys climbed up to sit in my lap in order to be consoled about his general malaise and the other brother decided he wanted some of that action as well! I even commented out loud (to no one in particular) that I really could use an extra arm today so everyone could get enough of what they needed/wanted.

That's when it struck me: God must be really heart-broken sometimes (often?)! I thought for a fleeting moment of all the stories I've heard on the news: what is going on in Gaza, continue to learn of horrible situations in Africa, the financial crisis in America and on and on and on. That's when I thought it. Perhaps this should be posted at Crayon Chronicles, but it's bigger than what the children taught me today.

I thought of how I add to God's distress and sadness sometimes (often!). I realized that my sins increase His burden. My disobedience and outright defiance, cause Him to attend to me and my little life when He has much bigger things to be tending to. Of course I know God is big enough to handle it all. I know He doesn't every say, "Wow, I wish I had some help todayf" or anything like that.

His strength and knowledge and wisdom are beyond imagining! His might is superior and extraordinary compared to anyone or anything in creation. I just felt bad for God today. And I felt a little sad that I contribute, in any way large or small, to his heart-break.

I'm not really going anywhere in particular with this, but I had one of the spirit-filled, spirit-inspired, spirit-connected days and this is one of the experiences I wanted to share. Perhaps you've thought about God's heart before. Maybe we all should more often. We would certainly stop and think before we did and said of lot of things if we first considered how it would impact God's work today, don't you think?

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. [Psalm 90:12 NIV]

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. [Psalm 100:5 NIV]