Amazingish Grace

I'm so quick to extend the grace of God to everyone.

Except myself that is.

Am I alone on this?

I've known Jesus since I was 12 years old. My journey with Him has certainly had moments of acceleration, and there comes a time that you may begin to feel fairly mature in your faith. You know what to do, and even why. 

But there are moments you know you're falling short of all God is offering.

Most often for me, it's a feeling of disconnection in my prayer life. I truly love talking to God, but sometimes I become so overwhelmed with the needs around me, as well as in my own life, I feel my conversations with God can turn to a rambling mess.

And then I remember, God has already cleaned up my messes.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

You may have seen the heartbreak of Wilhem Belocian, the french hurdler who was disqualified for one false start in the Rio Olympics. A lifetime of work for naught due to a momentary mistake. For him, there was no grace.

God has extended an amazing grace to Christians. He knows who we are, loves us anyway, and always allows us to start again. And I've told that to countless people, encouraging them to accept the grace that God gives so freely.

And yet, I treat it as amazingish grace with my own failures.
"I should know better." 
"Why did I endure this failure yet again?"

And so instead of resting in the amazing grace of God, I find myself tempted toward self-repair. There is no doubt God is always calling us to better efforts, but not in order to win His favor. In Christ, we already have His acceptance. That's why He allows us to try again.

Christian, don't just be quick to share the grace of God with others, but accept it for yourself as well. There is one moment in time that condemnation is unable to find the Christian. That time is "now", and praise Jesus, it's always now!

The Danger of Spiritual Shortcuts

This is how I imagine it looks when I'm playing guitar. 


In my previous church I became the worship leader by default. A drummer by trade, I realized I needed to get good at the guitar fast to fill this needed role.

It started off easy enough. G, C, D, and even Em were quickly part of my repertoire. But, the chords progressively got harder and I was struggling to master them.

So I cheated.

Most guitar chords have different variants and I learned the easiest versions. The average person in the congregation couldn't really tell the difference, though the trained ear could.

And God has a trained ear.

There is no cheap, easy, or lazy way to serve God. -Adrian Rogers

Close is fine for horseshoes, hand grenades, and even guitar chords. However, the Bible warns against spiritually settling. Romans 12:11 challenges us with these words:
"Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord."

Even though I don't play much for worship settings anymore, I'm currently working to improve my guitar chords. I'm no longer happy with the shortcuts and I'm ready to play the right way.

Where are you taking spiritual shortcuts? 

• Praying during your commute is great, but do you also take time for undistracted prayer? 
• Reading devotionals is helpful, but are you reading God's Word, or just what others say about the Bible? 

Shortcuts can carry us through challenging times, but be sure you do not lack diligence as you serve and grow in the Lord!

What are you in it for?

This guy is teaching me a lot about preaching. 

If you don't know Tim Hawkins, you're really missing out. Not only is he a great comedian, but a great communicator. In his weekly podcast, he shares personal and honest lessons from his years on stage, including this nugget:
"I had to learn that comedy isn't about getting laughs...it's about giving them."

"All day long the lazy craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back." Proverbs 21:26

We love to get. And I'm learning that lesson extends far beyond gifts and money. Too often I've preached in an attempt to elicit a particular response from my congregation. What if I concerned myself more with what I'm giving as I serve, instead of what I might be receiving from my service?

Where are you trying to GET more than GIVE? 
Your kids don't appreciate you enough? That's OK...keep giving.
Your spouse doesn't appreciate all your sacrifices? That's OK...keep giving.
Your church doesn't know all the hidden work you do? That's OK...keep giving.
Let us be the righteous who refuses to hold back! 

Are you doing the best you can, not for what you can get, but what you can give? Answer...that...question...slowly.