Through Grace

"Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]?" (Romans 2:4 AMP)

I’ve always wondered:

Why do some people have faith, but not others?

Why do some people suffer greatly, while others seem to do okay in life?

Why are not all the sick healed through prayer?

Why do some people repent and turn their lives around, while others self-destruct?  

I do not have answers to any of the above. Yet, I am aware of the following: 

God’s love is available to everyone.

God’s kindness leads us to repentance and transformation.

The gift of faith enables us to have a responsorial relationship with God.

Everything we are seeking in life–joy, fulfillment, purpose, meaning–is found through Grace. 

Without God, nothing is possible. With God, nothing is impossible. 

The Discomfort of Growth

“Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. ‘Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self.’” ( Matthew 16:24 MSG)

When I read verses like the one above, I cringe. If I’m being completely honest--I want to be in the driver’s seat. I routinely try to run from suffering. I prefer self-help over self-sacrifice. I always pick comfort over pain. I would rather not face uncertainty. If suffering is the only pathway to growth, I would rather remain stagnant. 

And so does most everyone else. 

We are all like pigs wallowing in dirt. We are content to stay in the muck and call it a mud bath. Some of us may move to a slightly cleaner puddle once in a while. How can we reveal our true selves when we are covered in mud? How can we see where we are going? How can we not slip and fall?

Follow Jesus and He will show us how. 

He will escort the blind down unfamiliar paths. He will guide us through new territory, smoothing out rough patches. He will illuminate dark passageways. He will not abandon us. 

“I will escort the blind down roads they do not know, guide them down paths they’ve never seen. I will smooth their passage and light their way. I will indeed do it—they are abandoned no more.” (Isaiah 42:16 VOICE)

Surrendering

“Don’t worry or surrender to your fear. For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in me also.” (John 14:1 TPT)

Sometimes in battle, you have no option but to surrender. You feel ill-equipped, outmaneuvered, exhausted, and overwhelmed. You can’t go on fighting. But you can choose what you surrender to. 

Fear is a mean taskmaster. If you surrender to fear, it will enslave you and continually torture you. Do not give in to anger, resentment, bitterness, impulsivity, selfishness, self-pity, or despair either. 

“God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. But He always provides a way of escape so that you will be able to endure and keep moving forward.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 VOICE)

Surrender to God. Trust Him. He is merciful and faithful. You may not be able to handle some things on your own, but you can handle everything with God. He will provide a way of escape so that you will be able to endure and keep moving forward. 

The Tough Middle

“Before every person lies a road that seems to be right, but at the end of that road death and destruction wait.” (Proverbs 16:25 VOICE)

Midlife is a time of reevaluation. By this time, we have worked hard to achieve what we thought would bring us happiness. Yet, we find ourselves asking: "Is there more to life?” Many of us project our dissatisfaction onto our circumstances. We pursue more temporary highs in the hope of finding fulfillment. We choose paths that seem right to us, but lead to more disappointment.

In the midst of a crisis, it is hard to recognize that what you are going through is not unique. Pulling yourself out of a pit is also difficult. Seek wise counsel. Even those who are intelligent sometimes allow their emotions to cloud their discernment. Examine your feelings of dissatisfaction. See where they point, and find healthy ways to address them. Thoughtfully navigating this tough middle stage can lead to growth while impulsive decisions can lead to destruction. 

Target Zone

“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’” (Job 1:8 NIV)

The Old Testament describes Job as a good man who suffered greatly. He was victimized by Satan, because he was a faithful servant to God. The New Testament tells us that Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert. A few years later, Jesus died a gruesome death despite doing nothing wrong.  

Serving God puts you on Satan’s radar. It’s like wearing a military uniform in enemy territory during a war. You are going to be more of a target than a person wearing civilian clothes. 

Even though I have known this for a while, I am still surprised and shocked when I see good people suffer. I question why God allows this to happen! I understand that humans are given the free will to make bad choices which may lead to the suffering of others. Even natural disasters and illnesses are often caused by choices made a long time ago. 

God restored everything to Job after a period of testing. Jesus was resurrected after His sacrificial death. If we can get through the tough middle period through faith, good will overcome evil in the end. 

 

Three Basic Questions

“Your Spiritual roots go deeply into his life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to him!” (Colossians 2:7 TPT)

According to Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, 

most people struggle with three basic issues in life: 

Identity--‘Who am I?’

Importance: ‘Do I matter?’ 

Impact: ‘What is my place in life?’

Since these questions are complex, many of us avoid thinking about them. During the first half of life, there are so many things vying for our attention. Busyness may enable us to put off answering these basic questions, but our lives become more troublesome the longer we wait. 

Who am I? My identity is more than what others think of me. It is more than my name, career, status, accomplishments, experiences, and accumulations.  

Do I matter? As long as I assess my significance upon worldly standards, my feelings of relevance will wax and wane along with circumstances. 

What is my place in life? How can I make a positive impact so that my existence makes a difference? 

Our true identity, importance, and impact come from within, not from  shallow externals.  When our roots go deeply into our spirit, we are continually infused with strength and encouraged in every way. When we are established in faith, we are absorbed and enriched by our devotion to God. We can only find fulfillment through our union with Christ.  

Self-Respect

“I would ask each of you to be emptied of self-promotion and not create a false image of your importance. Instead, honestly assess your worth by using your God-given faith as the standard of measurement, and then you will see your true value with an appropriate self-esteem.” (Romans 12:3 TPT)

If an expensive brand of car does not have a hood ornament that announces its worth, would it remain appealing? If clothes or accessories came with nothing to identify them as exclusive, would people pay exorbitant prices for them? If pictures and stories of travel and activities could not be publicized with anyone, would these experiences be less interesting? 

Humans have always used props for self-promotion. Cavemen probably embellished stories about their hunting experiences. Cavewomen most likely compared their jewelry made from bones and teeth of animals. Unfortunately, humans have not evolved much in this aspect. We still project false images to look important. 

We may be able to elicit attention, applause, or envy with displays of wealth and success, but public validation is fickle. The temporary high is disappointing. Our worth cannot be based on props, masks, costumes, and applause. It is natural to crave respect, but why do we settle for counterfeit versions that fail to satisfy? 

Self-respect is derived from being honorable--even when no one is there to observe you. It comes from staying true to an internal moral compass. Honestly assess your worth by using your God-given faith as the standard of measurement, and then you will see your true value with an appropriate self-esteem.