November 30
"By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me was not in vain..."
- 1 Corinthians 15:10
The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God's perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, "Oh, I shouldn't claim to be sanctified; I'm not a saint." But to say that before God means, "No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn't possible." That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.
Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, "Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified," is in God's eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.
There is only one relationship that really matters, and that is your personal relationship to your personal Redeemer and Lord. If you maintain that at all costs, letting everything else go, God will fulfill His purpose through your life. One individual life may be of priceless value to God's purposes, and yours may be that life.
Wham! Right between the eyes.
Its a wonder I didn't get this Monday night. Its very clear now. Feeling worthless, and being unable to accept that God would want me is telling God that He did a terrible job creating me, and that He is powerless to change me. Ouch.
I'm going to keep working on this. Just as we use the scripture to 'capture every thought' when dealing with temptation, its just as important with these lies we buy everyday. I'm not worthless, God made me, and IT WAS GOOD. He gave me talents that I can use for His glory, and He put wonderful family and friends in my life to portray His Love for me. I have to keep telling myself this and stop those lies from even gaining one foot in my mind.
By the grace of God I am what I am, another story of how God can take something broken and make it NEW again.
I'm so glad you found something that helps you begin to understand your value. After reading your last post I was wracking my brain for the right thing to say and it just wasn't coming. Mostly because I have too many things to say! Short version: All my life I just saw the rules I needed to follow and knew I was a failure because I broke some on occasion. All I could understand was the wrathful side of God. I was a worthless Christian.
ReplyDeleteThen, in one fateful chapel service, James Laker said a few words that changed me forever. "You are covered in grace." When God looks at me He sees Jesus, not the stupid things I have or haven't done. He doesn't see the time I've wasted or the guilt I carry or the fears I hide behind. He sees His son who loves me, and that is enough.
Oh my gosh. That struck me. I had been such an Old Testament Christian- hiding behind the law because, well, it is easier to hate myself than to love myself! Like you said (or quoted?), what sounds arrogant in mens' eyes is humble in Gods'. When I love myself as God loves me I don't worry about my failures, so I am free to blast through the boundaries that the world sets and do really spectacular things that God intended when He created me. Perfectly. Just like you.
A humble and willing heart is all God needs to change the world.