Good morning…
Over the years, my husband and I have been criticized, subtly and not-so-subtly, for not being “Christian” enough. Has similar judgement ever happened to you? People judging people feels so toxic. Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do…It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! (Galatians 6:16, MSG).
Through a life of personal prayer, I focus upon staying plugged into God, allowing everlasting light to shine through me, trusting God’s light to pierce through my dark parts, more and more, day by day. All of us do not need to believe the exact same thing to be empowered by the grace of God, this God who shines light through flawed people like us, gradually dispelling the darkness of this hurting world.
Might we each look inside to say: My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily (Galatians 2:19-21, MSG).
As we are drawn to different rhythms of God’s unforced grace, we recognize our spiritual growth is not about us. Our spiritual growth is about God. As long as we surrender as much of ourselves as we understand right now to as much of this mysterious God we understand right now, everlasting light will gradually increase daily in our “with God” lives. May you know more and more of grace and peace as your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord grows deeper (2 Peter 1:2, PHILIPS).
My favorite definition of grace is this: “There is nothing I can do to make God love me more and nothing I can do to make God love me less.” God’s love is constant, universal, the all for all. So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God (1 Peter 2:1-3, MSG).
All thanks be to God.
…Sue…
