Is His grace really sufficient? Well, I don't know..what is grace...what is His grace? I've always been taught that grace, in a nutshell, is God's favor for His children. So when I'm told that His grace is sufficient, then I'm being told that His favor towards me is sufficient for my life to be lived in a fine enough way that I'll make it...not without trials and tribulations, but that I'll make it.
It's a cold and rainy night...no that's not the first line of a new horror novel I'm writing. It's just cold and raining and gloomy and dark. I'm thinking about all the homeless people who are finding a mission, a cheap motel, a bridge, or a cardboard box to get in for the night. I look at myself and see that I have a brightly lit, warm, comfortable, "sufficient" home to be in on this cold and rainy night.
Why do I have this home and how have I kept it for almost 9 years? Well, it's not by my strength...it's not even by my works. It's by God's grace. He is providing this home. He is providing the money for the rent and it's not much, but it's sufficient. I don't have a lot. I don't have a fine home or a fine car but I have what I need and it's sufficient. At the risk of saying the word too much, everything I have at my disposal is sufficient for me to live this life in a fine enough way to make it through.
Every time I go out to start that old jalopy in the driveway, it starts right up. The only times it hasn't (dead battery or such) was on a day that I really didn't need it to start. By God's grace that car has started every night of classes. The long treks to my neurologist in the next city over...I get there every single time. I've not missed one appointment in 4 years. I made it to all of my physical therapy appointments without delay (that car doesn't look like it should be going past my mailbox). God's grace is the reason for that.
I believe that God expects us to meet Him halfway. I don't take what He does for granted. I don't sit back eating bon bons and expect a miracle to fall in my lap, or groceries, or anything else that requires my attention. In so doing my part I find the Lord meeting me halfway. Oh how many times I've cried and wailed for thinking it was all about to crash down around me and suddenly everything "magically" falls into place. Not in any form that would be considered me having more than my share, but in a way that's fine enough for me to make it through. I just trust Him in my heart of hearts and His heart connects to that. He feels my faith like a ray of light reaching into the heavens where He waits with an open heart. When the ray of faith reaches God, a switch is flipped and all good things begin to flow from Him and into us.
I don't make the mistake of trying to be inhumanly perfect. I also believe that God can't stand a phony. He can't stand people who try to be pious and religiously perfect. He wants our genuine selves. He wants our flaws so He can polish us into a diamond. He wants us to stumble so we reach out to Him so that He can prove that He's the one that can steady us.
He's more than gracious with us. It's no different than when we love to give something of ourselves to another. You know how you purchase a gift and hand pick the wrapping, then run home and lovingly wrap that gift for your kin folk or friend? Remember the feeling that comes with knowing how much they'll love that gift? Remember how it feels knowing you're about to make their day? Now, remember how it feels when that gift is turned down because the person thinks "oh you shouldn't have...I can't accept this...I'm sorry but I can't accept this..it's just too much, take it back but thank you." Your heart is broke because you love that person and you want them to have that gift, no matter the cost. They just don't know how much you wanted to give them that gift. God is like that with us. He just wants to give us His gifts but He never spends more than He should and He never gives us things we can't use. He is thoughtful and gracious with each gift He bestows and all He wants is for us to trust that He knows which ones we'll need or want or love the most and those are the ones He's been waiting on the chance to give us. We just have to accept them. (sorry that sounds so corny).
I said all of that while thinking back to my 20s and early 30s, back to a time when I just wanted to take care of myself and be at peace, no more people telling me what to do in my own house, bullying me around, or holding me back from doing what I need or want to do, that which I know will help me as well as others. God has graciously and sufficiently given me that. I have a home, nothing big but comfortable for me. It is two baths and two bedroom even though I really only need one of each, but God in His wisdom and sufficient grace made that way early on so that I'd have a place to start storing baby stuff for my grandchildren. He's put me back in school, which was a dream I've always had. I used to drive past the college and look longingly at it, sigh deeply, and sadly think, "I wish I could go back to school." (The truth is that I wanted to do high school over but that's just not allowed, hahaha).
That's only the start of how sufficiently God has provided for me. Every day, in every area of my life where it's needed and reasonable. How has God blessed you and how do you see that it's actually quite sufficient?
It's a cold and rainy night...no that's not the first line of a new horror novel I'm writing. It's just cold and raining and gloomy and dark. I'm thinking about all the homeless people who are finding a mission, a cheap motel, a bridge, or a cardboard box to get in for the night. I look at myself and see that I have a brightly lit, warm, comfortable, "sufficient" home to be in on this cold and rainy night.
Why do I have this home and how have I kept it for almost 9 years? Well, it's not by my strength...it's not even by my works. It's by God's grace. He is providing this home. He is providing the money for the rent and it's not much, but it's sufficient. I don't have a lot. I don't have a fine home or a fine car but I have what I need and it's sufficient. At the risk of saying the word too much, everything I have at my disposal is sufficient for me to live this life in a fine enough way to make it through.
Every time I go out to start that old jalopy in the driveway, it starts right up. The only times it hasn't (dead battery or such) was on a day that I really didn't need it to start. By God's grace that car has started every night of classes. The long treks to my neurologist in the next city over...I get there every single time. I've not missed one appointment in 4 years. I made it to all of my physical therapy appointments without delay (that car doesn't look like it should be going past my mailbox). God's grace is the reason for that.
I believe that God expects us to meet Him halfway. I don't take what He does for granted. I don't sit back eating bon bons and expect a miracle to fall in my lap, or groceries, or anything else that requires my attention. In so doing my part I find the Lord meeting me halfway. Oh how many times I've cried and wailed for thinking it was all about to crash down around me and suddenly everything "magically" falls into place. Not in any form that would be considered me having more than my share, but in a way that's fine enough for me to make it through. I just trust Him in my heart of hearts and His heart connects to that. He feels my faith like a ray of light reaching into the heavens where He waits with an open heart. When the ray of faith reaches God, a switch is flipped and all good things begin to flow from Him and into us.
I don't make the mistake of trying to be inhumanly perfect. I also believe that God can't stand a phony. He can't stand people who try to be pious and religiously perfect. He wants our genuine selves. He wants our flaws so He can polish us into a diamond. He wants us to stumble so we reach out to Him so that He can prove that He's the one that can steady us.
He's more than gracious with us. It's no different than when we love to give something of ourselves to another. You know how you purchase a gift and hand pick the wrapping, then run home and lovingly wrap that gift for your kin folk or friend? Remember the feeling that comes with knowing how much they'll love that gift? Remember how it feels knowing you're about to make their day? Now, remember how it feels when that gift is turned down because the person thinks "oh you shouldn't have...I can't accept this...I'm sorry but I can't accept this..it's just too much, take it back but thank you." Your heart is broke because you love that person and you want them to have that gift, no matter the cost. They just don't know how much you wanted to give them that gift. God is like that with us. He just wants to give us His gifts but He never spends more than He should and He never gives us things we can't use. He is thoughtful and gracious with each gift He bestows and all He wants is for us to trust that He knows which ones we'll need or want or love the most and those are the ones He's been waiting on the chance to give us. We just have to accept them. (sorry that sounds so corny).
I said all of that while thinking back to my 20s and early 30s, back to a time when I just wanted to take care of myself and be at peace, no more people telling me what to do in my own house, bullying me around, or holding me back from doing what I need or want to do, that which I know will help me as well as others. God has graciously and sufficiently given me that. I have a home, nothing big but comfortable for me. It is two baths and two bedroom even though I really only need one of each, but God in His wisdom and sufficient grace made that way early on so that I'd have a place to start storing baby stuff for my grandchildren. He's put me back in school, which was a dream I've always had. I used to drive past the college and look longingly at it, sigh deeply, and sadly think, "I wish I could go back to school." (The truth is that I wanted to do high school over but that's just not allowed, hahaha).
That's only the start of how sufficiently God has provided for me. Every day, in every area of my life where it's needed and reasonable. How has God blessed you and how do you see that it's actually quite sufficient?
That's beautiful Kelline.
ReplyDeleteGod is sufficient and does provide.
I was just telling a friend the other day, that I believe we all struggle with a certain sin in our lives. Like a thorn in our flesh. But this struggle with sin is what keeps us running to God. Knowing that we can't be perfect on our own, that we need Him.
You're so right about the gifts. He gets pleasure from giving. He wants to bless us.
This is a beautiful post Kelline. :)
I kind of rambled on this time and wondered here and yon with my topics but I just wanted to praise Him. :)
DeleteThis post was very uplifting Kelline. I have been emotionally going through it. Sometimes I would start crying out of nowhere and honestly don't know why. I would be crying until my head ached, and I would ask God to help me. I have mostly over the past few day's, even weeks, been thinking about my life. I've been thinking, what is God's will for my life, and how do I know for sure if I'm already doing it or if I'm doing my own thing.
ReplyDeleteI truly just want to do the right thing to please Him always, but I feel I keep messing up, keep making mistakes. I'm still very young, but who know's how long anyone will be here on earth. I don't wanna sit around thinking, oh, I'm young I have a lot of time to do whatever. I get so troubled with these thought's. When I'm in bed I'm thinking am I wasting my life, am I wasting my day's doing nothing. The moment I get up, my mind starts thinking of what will I do today. I kind of feel like there is something I should be dong but I'm not, so I feel like I'm wasting my life.
Last week I called myself a loser I was so sad and really getting depressed. Whenever I get that way I think to myself what use can I be if I'm calling myself a loser but telling others to be confident and I'm encouraging other's in their walk, yet I get so sad sometimes and don't know why. I call out for God's help when I cry, there are times when nothing else can come to mind besides asking Him for help. One day I was sitting by the door in my bedroom looking outside, I do this often, it's kind of like my meeting place with the Lord.I was sitting down just so sad and talking to Him asking Him for help, and the word's His grace is sufficient entered my mind after a while, I remembered, I think, Paul saying it in one of His epistles and here it is your post is about His sufficient grace. I'm grateful that God is faithful, in protecting me and my household and my entire neighborhood, and with providing the basic necessities.
I just can't understand why I feel so confused with not understanding if I am doing His will or what His will is. It honestly drives me nuts, because I think if go my whole life doing what I think is His will then turns out later I wasn't, I was doing my own thing, then I feel like I wasted my life. I already know I wasted enough time of my life partying and doing all kind of silly thing's a few years back, I just don't want to waste anymore time. I really thought I would fully understand by now and sometimes I think I do, then back to square one where I'm questioning again. I question everything I do, and think is this the correct thing i'm doing.
Oh my dear sweet sister, you're truly going through it. Toiling with thoughts and struggling with answers. You're not alone either. Don't fret and worry so. I have four words for you, "Just be in Christ." Don't ask, don't question, don't worry, don't cry. (Within reason of course.) I am 44 now and for the first time in life, I feel truly free in Christ. When I stopped trying is when I got right with Him. When I stopped "working" ("for it's not by works that ye are saved, but by His grace") then I felt free. "Not by might nor by power but by His spirit"...those verses set me free from all my struggles, toils, and labors, to do what you said you're doing now, "trying" to do His will. Sateigdra, if you love God and believe on Him, that's enough. He'll guide you the rest of the way, moment by moment. You don't have to try so hard, I promise. You don't HAVE to go to church, or read the Bible. Those are good things we do and they're helpful, but the true service you offer God is your faith and love for Him. Just your connection and prayers (the ones whispered deep in your heart) are all it takes to live life in the Lord the right way. The rest is just religion and man's rules imposed through it. God just wants us to live our lives. He's okay with us when we fail because He's there at that second to help us up and straighten out the path. He's okay with us when we sit in our rooms and "do nothing" because those are the times He's speaking to your heart so that the next moment can be filled with activities that glorify Him. It's okay for you to wake up and do nothing all day. God can use you even then, then He's molding you through thought and contemplation. Don't be so worried that you're "wasting" your time or life because that's simply not true. If that was the case, wouldn't we live so much longer? The true life begins after death so this small period of time here really isn't the important one. This is our learning time, our failing time, our succeeding time, our "may be" time. Now is the time to just be in Christ and let Him work. There will come a time when all we've learned here, through our mistakes, will be called upon to be used. We can't possibly conceive of what's in store for us but I know that I know that I know that this is the time to just trust Him and put one foot in front of the other. I have prayed every day for you since the first time we talked in our blogs. I will continue to do so. Rest with God and know He's with you, He's walking with you and it's okay not to take a step. It's okay when you do and okay when you don't. Nothing you've done is wasteful, it's all valuable for what's to come. I love you sister!!
DeleteKelline you have no idea how wonderful these words you have shared have made me feel. I pray for you too, and all the other persons I have recently gotten to know on the internet. This was something on my mind so heavily, and God has in so many way's including using you to show me to just trust in Him, I matter, I have a purpose. The enemy want's me to quit, to think that following Christ is too tough I'll never make it. But I've come across several verses from the day I commented on this post even up to yesterday. A scripture where God say's His commandments are not burdensome. Where He say's those who overcome are those who have faith. In so many little way's I realize I must matter in this great big world even though I don't have a daily schedule like so many, who are always busy. I know the Holy Spirit has led me to all those scriptures I found this week. I know God has answered my cries for help, He has been and is so faithful to me, I could hardly begin to grasp How wonderful His love is, how big it is.
DeleteA friend of mine has a little baby who's about 1, he's a cab driver, he's not with the mother of the baby. She's decided to return to school to do some college classes but has nobody to watch her baby on mondays and wednesdays. It so happened that the bible study group I'm in changed it's date from Wednesday nights to tuesday so I'm free on wednesdays, also mondays, so my friend the cab driver has asked me to babysit while he's working and the mother is in school. It's thing's like this what make me think I matter.
Another scripture i came across this week, is how God has prepared good works beforehand for us to walk in. It's so wonderful to know that God is preparing us to walk in the good works He has prepared even before we were even born. I am so grateful for your prayers, from yesterday I started to feel better, I am no longer depressed but trusting in God. I know that He won't lead me to destruction, His plans for me are not to cause me harm. After the past few weeks of despair, I was reminded of something that I had already known but the enemy was trying to get me to forget, that all I have to do is trust in God. Thank you so much Kelline, you have no idea how grateful I am for your prayers and your love. I love you too!! :-) Thank you again.
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DeleteI just realized I could find your email address. I'm going to email you. I'll put my name in the subject line so you know it's from me.
Deleteok. :)
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