I may not be confident in a whole lot of things, but in this one thing I have placed my faith:
I did not and do not deserve love, forgiveness, mercy and grace from God.... but He gives it to me anyway.
And He tells us in His word to love as He loves, to forgive as He forgives, to give mercy and extend grace as He does. What this says to me is that I don't get to choose who deserves it- I don't get to choose who I love and who I forgive- I am to do as He does and give it to all.
I can thank God that He didn't put me in charge of who gets grace and who doesn't. I don't get to choose, I don't get to sit in judgement where He has already forgiven. No matter what it takes, I am to extend grace , love and forgiveness to all. If that means I have to give up my rights, then so be it. If it means that I have to swallow my desire to be right, then I will.
I am to do the will of my Father, I am to obey His word and I am to trust that He will do His work. If I choose not to forgive and not to love, I am in direct disobedience to Him and it will not go well with me.
I don't know about you or where you stand- but I know this:
I choose God's way.
I know that even when I don't like something or even at times like who they are, I am to choose to love, to act in love, to pour out the love that has been given to me. This isn't easy when we operate in our strength. When the flesh is the first foot we put out, we will never do this. But when we act in the spirit, when we call on the one and only to put His foot out first for us, then and only then can we operate in the spirit and show love, extend grace, give mercy.
ReplyDeleteI need to choose to act in the Spirit moment by moment.
Love ya!