Recently I have really been challenged to make some changes in my life and to really start to make my faith more active. I felt like God was asking me "What are you doing each day for me? How are you choosing to follow me and live out your faith daily?" And when I took any honest look at myself, I didn't really have a good answer to either of those questions. I try to read my Bible each day, although I do fail in my consistency, and I pray, but that just didn't seem like enough. I want to grow, to know my God more deeply and to fall in love more and more each day with my Savior. So, I have set a challenge before myself. For the next 35 days, I am going to focus on one word or phrase and do my best to grow that characteristic in my life. I thought of 35 words that reflect the character of Christ and who I want to become. I want to make my faith active and I believe to be active, we have to be intentional. I am going to be intentional by choosing one word each day to focus on. To try my hardest to reflect that word in my actions and to hopefully make it become a regular part of my life.
So today, I choose grace. To embrace God's grace and to extend that grace to others.
I looked up different scripture that talks about grace and was I challenged! Romans 3:22-24 tells us that we are all justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reminds us that His grace is sufficient for us and that His power is made perfect in our weakness. So what should this make us do? It should make us "boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me". Do I boast about my weakness so that Christ's power can rest on me? No, I try to hide my weakness and rely on myself for power. This scripture is telling me that when I am weak, that I am strong. Strong only in the power of my Savior!
I want to live out the words of James 4:6, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble". I want my life to reflect God's grace and I must remember that it is by grace that I have been saved, it's nothing that I can do. I find the fact that we are saved by grace very reassuring. It means that I don't have to spend my life trying to earn God's love. He freely gives it to me, all I have to do is accept it! I have been saved by grace through faith and for that I am thankful!
How do we reflect this grace n our lives? I think that Colossians 4:5-6 give us great insight into how to treat others. "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
That is what I want to do, to make the most out of every opportunity and to allow my words to be full of grace and truth. So today, I choose grace!
This is awesome Ruth. I feel very inspired by this and it makes me want to focus on grace today as well. I will be praying for your journey.
ReplyDeleteI love to see how God is moving in the hearts of His children when they surrender. I too am encouraged that you choose to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit calling, and him calling you to the greater journey, really thats Gods call for all of us.:) First impressions after taking in your words and scriptures, was Wow!! I promise that the next 35 days may not be easy but will bring Huge Blessings beyond any thing you can ever imagine. I will guess that through challenges,misery,hardships and tears-these are the joyful sounds we lift to our Heavenly Father as we run to Him for everything the scripture you quoted above tells us. Last thoughts "Grace"...Awe yes, this is one I am happy God shows and lets me experience daily in my life. May God's GRACE pour out through you today and each day that follows. Praise the Lord one more follower is chasing after the Savior!!
ReplyDeleteI love you Ruthie!!!