“My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.”
1 Peter 5:12 (NLT) You’ll face many pitfalls in the marathon of life. But regardless of what you go through, you can count on God’s sustaining grace. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:12, “My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace” (NLT). There are three times in life when it will be easy for you to stumble, to get cast off to the side of the race, and to not finish well. But in each of these situations, God’s sustaining grace will get you through it. God’s sustaining grace helps you keep standing when you’re tempted. Temptation is the first thing that can cause you to stumble. The Bible says, “God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT). God says, “I will provide the sustaining grace to always give you a way of escape.” That way of escape may mean turning the television channel. It may mean running out the door. It may mean changing the way you’re thinking. But God will provide a way to escape temptation. God’s sustaining grace helps you keep standing when you’re tired. Sometimes you’re not tempted. Sometimes you’re just tired! Life is often exhausting. It requires a lot of energy, especially when you’re trying to do the right thing rather than the easy thing. But where do you get the power to do the right thing when you’re dead tired? “It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NLT). Having the Holy Spirit in your heart gives you the energy to do the things you can’t do in your own power. God’s sustaining grace gives you the power to keep going when you’re troubled. There are some hurts that all the wishing in the world won’t make go away. Some things in life are unplanned, unrelenting, and undeserved—and they hurt the most. What do you do in those situations? You first stop doing the “if only” game and instead focus on Christ and his sustaining power. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you” (NCV). Remember that you’re never alone in life and never without hope. Whether you’re tempted, tired, or troubled, you can count on God’s sustaining grace to uphold you.
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“[The promise] is not only for those who live under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that of Abraham.”
Romans 4:16 (NCV) God doesn’t play favorites—regardless of your background, status, or sin. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a religious person, a formerly religious person, or if you have any religious background at all. Romans 4:16 says, “[The promise] is not only for those who live under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that of Abraham” (NCV). Who are these people who live under the Law of Moses? The Jews. The Jewish people were given the ways of God before anyone else. Have you ever thought about why the Jews were called God’s chosen people? Does God love them more than he loves the rest of us? No. They were chosen for a purpose—to spread the message to everybody else that there is one true God. They were kind of like the missionaries to the rest of us. Now God has taken that task and given it to the church, which includes everybody who puts their faith in Christ, regardless of their background. God says his salvation is available to anybody who opens up his or her heart in faith: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13 NIV). There are no quotas in heaven. The Bible doesn’t say only really good people will be saved if they call on the name of the Lord. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The sad thing is many people still try to work their way into heaven, even though they know God offers his gift of grace. They think they can make themselves good enough—that they don’t need God’s gift of salvation through Christ. You may have done some really nifty things in life. But if you think they’re going to get you into heaven, forget it. The only way any of us gets in is by receiving God’s gift of grace, which is available to every person. “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28 (GNT) Let’s face it. You and I do foolish things from time to time. We make mistakes. But nothing you ever do is beyond the capacity of God to use. You may make mistakes, but God doesn’t. The Bible says in Romans 8:28: “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose” (GNT). When you make a foolish mistake, God says, “I can fit that in too. I can use it all for good.” Let's be clear, though. This isn’t a promise for everyone. The verse doesn’t say God works everything out for good for those living in rebellion against him or for those who aren’t living for his purposes. The promise is for people who come to God and say, “I want to live for your purposes. I don’t always get it right. But I want to do the right thing. I want to follow you, and I want to trust you.” Do that, and God will take it all and use it for his good. That’s a reason for joy. When you put your life in his hands, it doesn’t mean you’ll never goof up again. You’ll still make bad decisions. You’ll still mess up. But God can fit it all into his plans. There is no plan B for your life. God knew all the mistakes you’d make before you were born. He also knew he’d fit those mistakes into his plan. That means you can relax. You can stop being anxious. You can move into the new year trusting God’s grace is active your life. Do your best with what God has given you. God will work everything into his plan. “There is only one God, and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Jesus was truly human, and he gave himself to rescue all of us.”
1 Timothy 2:5 (CEV) Christmas is all about Good News. But it’s not the good news of special gifts. It’s not the good news of a big meal. It’s not the good news of festive music and beautiful lights. Christmas, and every day, is about the Good News of God’s love. The Bible says every person desperately needs God’s love. In fact, you’re lost without it. You’re directionless, without protection, and without real joy. Your potential eternal impact upon the world is unrealized. Your eternity in heaven isn’t secure. The Good News is that God sent Jesus to seek and save the lost. The Bible says, “There is only one God, and Christ Jesus is the only one who can bring us to God. Jesus was truly human, and he gave himself to rescue all of us” (1 Timothy 2:5 CEV). If you’ve ever spent time in church, you’ve likely heard the word “salvation” many times. But you may not know what it means. The word is like a diamond; you can look at it from many different angles and still discover new facets. Salvation means:
As you look around this Christmas, you’ll see plenty of good in the Christmas season. But remember that best of all is the Good News of God’s love. Through Jesus, you can experience rescue, recovery, and reconnection with God. “Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”
James 3:17-18 (The Message) With so many people at home more during the pandemic, you might notice you’re a little more sensitive than usual. Maybe you’re quick to point out everything that’s wrong in the world or in your home. Maybe you jump on every mistake and error and feel duty-bound to remind people what didn’t work. Maybe you’re just overly picky about everything and determined to keep bringing up the past. This is a stressful season, and it’s understandable that you’ll feel like acting this way at certain times. But if you want to plant seeds of peace in your relationships, then you won’t emphasize other people’s mistakes. You’ll let go of your pride and choose to put someone else’s needs above your own. That’s not easy, even when you’re not under stress! But it is a mark of spiritual maturity when you can let something go for the sake of healthy relationships. “Real wisdom, God’s wisdom . . . is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced” (James 3:17 The Message). Mercy, the Bible says, is a mark of wisdom. Mercy is giving people what they need, not what they deserve. When somebody stumbles, you don’t judge them. You encourage them. Mercy is forgiving and gracious. It’s treating people the way God treats you. Proverbs 17:9 says, “Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends” (TLB). Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross, was reminded by a friend of an especially cruel thing that somebody had done to her years before. Barton acted like she didn’t remember it, and the friend asked, “Don’t you remember?” Her famous reply was, “No, I distinctly remember forgetting it.” What are you choosing to forget out of love and wisdom? Emphasizing mistakes is not helpful. Mercy is what is helpful and loving. “Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit” (Proverbs 15:4 GNT). The words you say make a difference. Learn to let go of things in the past that are causing friction in your current relationships. Speak life to the people you love. “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
Colossians 3:13 (NLT) We forgive because we have been forgiven. God expects us to show grace to others because he showed grace to us. He demonstrated his love by sending Christ to die for us, even though we were still in rebellion to him (Romans 5:8). It’s easier sometimes to be selfish instead of gracious. You see the slow cashier in the grocery store line as a five-minute interruption to your day rather than somebody who might be struggling to keep his job, somebody who just got the worst news of his life a few minutes before. You see someone in your family who’s struggling as a drain on you rather than seeing her hopelessness over a desperate situation. You see the person who cut you off on the freeway as a villain instead of someone in need of God’s love. We’re all in need of God’s love. That’s why Jesus Christ came into this world. And to show people grace is to remember what God has done for us. The ultimate way God shows us grace is by forgiveness. And the ultimate way he asks us to show grace to others is also by forgiving them. People often ask, “How can I find the strength to forgive? I don’t have it in me.” The truth is, none of us do! The only place we find the strength to forgive is to remember how much Jesus has forgiven us. Through that reminder, he gives us the strength and grace to forgive others. There’s a story about a woman named Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross. A friend reminded her of a particularly cruel thing somebody had done to her years before. The friend asked, “Don’t you remember?” Her famous reply was, “No, I distinctly remember forgetting it.” Forgiveness doesn’t mean the person who wronged you was right. And it doesn’t make what that person did okay. When forgiving someone seems impossible, remember one thing: Jesus forgave you. “God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, ‘God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.’”
James 4:6 (NCV) To make it through the extraordinary crisis of a pandemic and social unrest, you need to treat yourself and other people the way God treats you: with grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Grace means that God always gives you what you need, not what you deserve. If you got what you deserved, you wouldn’t even be here. “God gives us even more grace, as the Scripture says, ‘God is against the proud, but he gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6 NCV). God opposes the prideful and arrogant because they think they can do it all by themselves, apart from God. They don’t think they need God or his grace. They approach life—even life in turmoil—with the mindset, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” But when you’re humble and admit that you can’t make it through this situation on your own, God opens the floodgates of heaven. He pours out his grace. And he expects those who have been shown amazing grace to then show that grace to others. Everybody’s having a tough time right now. To maintain your emotional health, you need to cut yourself some slack and do the same for others. Everybody’s feeling the stress, particularly the millions of people who are out of work and concerned about the future—maybe even about how they will make it to the next day. Be kind. Be gentle. Even the hardest people to love are fighting some kind of battle right now and need your grace. This will often take a lot of humility. With tensions high, it’s easier right now to return wrong for wrong, give a sharp answer, withhold the benefit of the doubt, and speak before listening. Your neighbor needs your grace. Your children need your grace. The person you disagree with politically needs your grace. The world is on the defense, and there is nothing that will disarm people more than being given unexpected grace. God has given you great grace. Go and extend that grace to others so they get a glimpse of what Jesus has done for them. “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” (Ephesians 4:2 NLT).
No relationship will survive without grace. You’ve got to cut people some slack! You’ve got to let things go. The Bible says, “Love patiently accepts all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7 NCV). In the original Greek, this literally means “covered with a roof.” Would you buy a house without a roof? Of course not. You’d have no protection from wind and rain. A roof covers and protects your home. In the same way, biblical love covers a relationship and lets some things slide. It doesn’t haul people into account for every mistake they make. You need a roof on your relationship because people damage pretty easily, and we need the kind of love that extends grace. Why is grace essential to relationships? The Bible says in Romans 3:10 that no one always does what is right. Nobody gets it right 100 percent of the time. It’s never just one person’s fault. There’s always a responsibility on both sides. It takes two people to disagree! We have to learn to extend grace to each other, because forgiveness is a two-way street. We cannot receive what we’re unwilling to give to other people. You build strong relationships by treating other people the way God treats you. Romans 15:7 says, “Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you” (NLT). When you accept others as they are, looking past their faults for the sake of love, that’s extending grace. “With deep love I will take you back” (Isaiah 54:7 GNT).
Do you need a little refreshment in your life? Are you feeling a little dried up? Do you need some revival? Come back to God. You may say, “But you don’t know what I’ve done.” It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done. God still wants you to come back to him. You may say, “Isn’t God going to scold me? I’ve been away from him for months, years, decades.” Here’s what the Bible says God will do if you come back to him: “With deep love I will take you back” (Isaiah 54:7 GNT). God isn’t mad at you. God is mad about you! No one will ever love you more than the Creator who made you. God the Father created you, Jesus the Son died for you, and God’s Spirit wants to live in you. Christmas is proof of God’s love for you. Many people can’t feel God’s love because they’re listening to the wrong voices. If you listen to what other people say about you, you’re going to get down. If you listen to what you tell yourself, you’re going to get down. Stop believing everything you tell yourself, because it’s not all true. You lie to yourself more than you lie to anybody else. You’re not the best judge of you, because your feelings lie all the time. (This is true for all of us!) You have to decide whom you’re going to believe. Are you going to build your life on what everybody else thinks about you? Are you going to listen to what the critics say about you on social media? Are you going to listen to your own feelings? Or are you going to listen to what God says about you, which is the truth? Acts 3:19 says, “Repent therefore, and turn back,that your sins may be blotted out” (ESV). You’re deeply flawed, but you are deeply loved, and you are infinitely valuable. You may have come to the end of yourself and feel like you don’t have anywhere to turn. But there is always Someone to turn to. With deep love, God will take you back. “Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement quietly” (Matthew 1:18-19 GNT).
The Christmas story could have gone differently for Joseph. Think about it: God could have chosen to save Joseph a lot of confusion and pain by directly telling him about Baby Jesus. Instead, Joseph has to learn the news from Mary and possibly think his fiancée’s been unfaithful to him. What is God doing here? He is testing Joseph’s character. He wants to see if Joseph will be compassionate, forgiving, and loving. And instead of trying to get even or even getting angry, Joseph chooses to offer grace and let the pain go. Mary was struggling with fear at the first Christmas, and Joseph was struggling with anger. This happens today in marriage after marriage. Often, one spouse is dealing with fear and the other is dealing with anger at the same time. Joseph had every reason to be hurt and wounded, but he didn’t attack Mary in his hurt. He offered her grace. The Bible says in Matthew 1:18-19, “Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement quietly” (GNT). That’s a beautiful example of grace. Joseph doesn’t publicly embarrass her. He’s not trying to shame her. He just says, “Okay. We’re going to call off the wedding.” Joseph is put in a difficult situation, but he chooses to do what he thinks would honor God, not yet understanding that the Heavenly Father had a bigger plan for Joseph to be the earthly father of Jesus. Who has hurt you deeply? Are you still hanging on to that hurt? If you are, that’s one of the reasons you’re not joyful. You cannot be resentful and joyful at the same time. You’ve lost your joy because you’ve kept your resentment. You’re not going to change anything by holding on to your hurt. Don’t forgive because the other person deserves it. Forgive because it’s what God has done for you. Offer grace, and let the pain go. Do you want to be bitter, or do you want to be blessed? When you choose to show grace and let it go after people hurt you, you get God’s blessing on your life. |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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