Grace.

 

This one word says so much to so many and yet nearly defies an adequate definition. Beyond the definition itself comes a diverse set of understandings of its meaning depending on whom you speak with and what informs their knowledge and experience with the word. Many authors have written books, dissertations, and articles about it. Sermons on the subject abound.

 

When Jerry Bridges writes about grace, there is no question that the reader will experience a depth of riches to be mined. In Transforming Grace the reader will not be disappointed and will be challenged to examine whether or not he or she has fully embraced the gift it is. The challenge occurs at the outset in the preface when Bridges writes:

 

“When we think of grace, we almost always think of being saved by grace….But the Bible teaches we are not only saved by grace, but we also live by grace every day of our lives. It is this important aspect of grace that seems to be so little understood or practiced by Christians.

My observation of Christendom is that most of us tend to base our personal relationship with God on our performance instead of His grace.”

 

He continues the challenge and supports his premise through the next thirteen chapters of Transforming Grace. The book also includes a discussion guide at the end of the book that covers each chapter and works well for personal study, but preferably within the context of a small group.

 

At the foundation of the subject of grace, Bridges makes a point he will refer to throughout the book. The point is that most of us trust Jesus for the grace of salvation as though we declared temporary bankruptcy and now will unconsciously go back to a “works” or “performance” relationship with the Lord in our daily lives. We know we can’t get to heaven through our own efforts, but we can earn favor and blessings by our performance in our daily life thereafter. We can easily slip into living by performance and neglect the truth that we are and were permanently bankrupt.

 

We are nudged along in this fallacy by the Christian culture that reinforces this idea through what we are admonished to do. We all know the list. It includes regular church attendance, daily quiet times, Bible study, prayer, scripture memorization, witnessing to others, giving to missions, serving in ministry, etc. Bridges supports his premise with how often these very good things become a checklist of how well we are performing for the Lord and the follow-up belief that our “grade” suggests how much we will be blessed.

 

We lose track of the significant foundational truth about grace that our debt to God has been fully paid when we accept Him and “there is no possibility of going into debt again.” God doesn’t keep a chart to withhold or grant blessings based on our performance and yet many of us ease into living our lives as if we have a “works-plus-grace relationship with Him.”

 

That line of thinking (works + grace) can delude us into the false idea that we can somehow “obligate God by our obedience or our sacrificial service.”

 

If you have never read this book or if you have not read it for some time, this book can provide a great compass for the journey into 2018. There is much to digest that will nourish your relationship with the Lord and help you to rest in Him with greater assurance. I could share many quotes, but you will want to delve into this book and mine them for yourself so I will add only one more.

 

“You are loved and accepted by God through the merit of Jesus, and you are blessed by God through the merit of Jesus. Nothing you will ever do will cause Him to love you anymore or any less. He loves you strictly by His grace given to you through Jesus.”

 

 To comply with new regulations introduced by the Federal Trade Commission, Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my review.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you listen carefully, you will daily hear about loss, disappointment, rejection, betrayal, loneliness, and other things, which tear at the fibers of our being and weigh down our hearts until we feel we can no longer bear it.

 

There are many arrows sent to halt our forward movement toward the path we are called to follow. They come from many sources, many directions. The enemy’s purpose has less to do with killing us perhaps and more to do with dissuading us from moving ahead, to take our eyes off the goal, weaken our resolve, and cloud our understanding.

 

As a result, we can be caught in the web of the enemy’s designs much like a spider ensnares a living meal to enjoy at its leisure.

 

Many of the things sent to assault our hearts that I have listed are things we would likely all recognize and acknowledge we have faced at least once in our lives. An insidious enemy that may be far more dangerous lurks about in the atmosphere, however, one we are often slower to recognize, and one we seem less skilled at fighting.

 

The enemy? Indifference.

 

Indifference nibbles at the edges of our hearts steadily creating the belief that no one cares about us, feels concern for us, or views us as important. If this simmers long enough, we begin to believe that perhaps the Lord is indifferent to us as well because our desires have been thwarted, our suffering has not be relieved, or the darkness has not lifted.

 

Elie Wiesel said, “Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies.”

 

“To be treated with indifference is the greatest tragedy a human soul can suffer.” Tonny K. Brown

 

A tragic result of the wounds we experience over time is when we deliberately choose to be and act indifferently toward others in an effort to protect our hearts from further pain.

 

Indifference becomes something we accept as a part of our lives without paying attention to the nibbling that produces a slowly simmering anger birthing resentment and corroding our awareness of how far we have slipped away from the truth.

 

We have forgotten (if we ever knew) that the enemy of our hearts, Satan himself, knows we are indeed precious, important, and valuable. He knows we were created with a purpose, a calling, and a divine destiny.

 

If he can deceive us so that we believe we are uncared for by a friend, a family member, or anyone else, he shrouds the truth from us of who we are. The results pull us farther off course.

 

We start to rely on ourselves alone because it feels too risky to trust the Lord or anyone else again. We do not even rightly discern love and care when it is shown to us.

 

The world has been pulled over our eyes.

 

We have forgotten there is an unseen world we live in the midst of and we are caught up in a great battle, a battle for our hearts and minds.

 

We cannot afford to indulge in indifference.

 

We must not forget whose we are and why the enemy of our souls is intent on trying to cause us to forget.

 

We are the beloved of God. He deemed us worthy of sending Himself as His Son to demonstrate how precious and loved we were and are. Despite our condition, He chose to sacrifice Himself for us.

 

He calls us His children.

 

He calls us his bride.

 

He has chosen us again and again.

 

He never stops loving us.

 

How great a love could we ever know? Even if no one else loves us, He does. He does.

 

Even when we are messed up, He looks at us with love, mercy, and grace.

 

The truth is

 

• God loves me more than I can imagine

   (Romans 8:39)

 

• God forgives me, no matter what my sin if I return to Him

       (I John 1:9)

 

• When I do not give up and attempt to do His will, He provides

       (Phil. 4:13)

 

• If I seem to fail, He gives me another opportunity

       (Psalm 37:24)

 

• God never wants me to give up or forget who He is

       (Joshua 1; 5,7,9)

 

• If I give up on myself, it will make it harder for me to see His love

       (Psalm 105:10-12)

 

Stand guard against indifference within yourself. Help others to do the same. In that way, we defend our hearts against the arrows of the enemy and we stand.

 

 

 

 

 

These words come into focus each day I sit down at my desk to write. They are etched in a glass cube given to me by a friend for a birthday not long ago. They first made an impression on me almost 25 years ago when my husband and I went to see the movie, Dead Poets Society. As time passed, the words continued to leave an imprint, nudging me to discover what that looks like for me.

 

What does it mean for me to “seize the day”? Various definitions given most often speak of enjoying the moment, the present, or even “plucking” the day as if it is ripe and ready for enjoyment. Some have said it means to also make the most of each day since the future is uncertain and largely unknown.

 

I once heard a graduation speaker say, “If you love life, do not waste time for time is what life is made of”. As a result, reflecting on the words “carpe diem” cause me to consider the speaker’s admonitions as well. It would be wonderful to tell you that I have not wasted time most days, but I can make no claim to that. As I have gotten older, I am less clear on what might be considered a “waste of time”. Too often our culture drives us to be productive and to accomplish something that translates into what the culture values at that period of time, but what if the culture is not what is to be the guide for my life, as I believe it is not?

 

Sitting watching the beauty of a sunset might be considered a waste of time by many, but if it stirs my soul to not only enjoy the beauty but also draw closer to the One who created it, is it not valuable? Taking time to read a story to a grandchild while I ignore laundry waiting to be done may not seem very productive, but is it not truly choosing the best? Pausing to be still so that I can enter into solitude and simply enjoy the Lord’s presence would be described by some as wiling away my time, but is that how He would see it? Choosing to skip a meeting to listen to a friend who needs encouragement and care seems to have more eternal value than attending a meeting.

 

My faith is to be the guide for my life and many times that faith does not align with current cultural values. That faith is to be informed by His values above all others and reflect His truth. That faith is also to shape my character and be stamped on my priorities as evidenced by my words and my choices.

 

A few months ago, my husband and I were visiting our son’s church. During the pastor’s message, he quoted a line from Martin Luther that crystalizes the meaning of carpe diem for me. The quote is this: “There are only two days on my calendar, today and THAT DAY!”

 

As Luther’s words have stirred in my heart, I have looked at seizing the day a bit differently. What would He have me choose today that would most impact “THAT DAY”? The words have not sent me scurrying off to get involved in more religious activities, but rather slowed me down to reduce my activities to discover the important ones He would appoint for me “today”. That focus has pulled me to consider how often I foolishly can get caught up in the “cares of this life”.

 

His life, His ministry lived out on this earth, did not match the societal culture of the day or the religious culture of the day. He took time to be alone with His Father. He went off to spend time in community with His closest friends. He took time to notice a woman at the well, a blind beggar, a wee man up in a tree, and so many others missed by those aligned with the culture of the day. He was more present in the moment than anyone else who has walked the earth.

 

As a result, when I look at the glass cube on my desk that says carpe diem, I am reminded of Luther’s words as the Lord’s guidance for the day: “There are only two days on my calendar, today and THAT DAY!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today we not only turn the page to a new day and new month, but also a new year. If you are reading this, you have been given the gift of life and time once more.

 

What will you do with this gift?

 

Each of us will choose how we spend it and sometimes forget that how much we are given is unknown to us.

 

It can be easy for us to complain about time. Some say they have too much time on their hands while others say they never have enough time to do all they want to do. I get that! I have experienced both at one time or another, but more of the latter.

 

I have reached the conclusion that even though there are “must do” things in every day whether it is work, household chores, or other assignments I have agreed to, I am still the one who is to steward the time. I make many choices about what my days and weeks look like. Many of the “have to do” things reflect my priorities, my values, my preferences, and my passions.

 

They also reflect consequences of other choices I have made. What kind? What I chose to do with education and how that impacts the choice of my work and even location. Yes, things can happen outside of my choices. There are forces outside of my control that act on me. I can become ill through no fault of my own, but I can also become ill because I did not steward my physical health by good choices about sleep, food, and exercise.

 

Each day we receive a blank page. What am I writing on it? What will you write on yours?

 

 What we write each day weaves many threads together that becomes ‘our’ story. That is likely most evident in a new year when we set goals for the year ahead, resolutions for what we want to do differently in order to be different.

 

What will you write?

 

 The key to that answer is whether we recognize we are each a part of a much larger story, God’s story. It can be easy to forget that. We can get caught up with the notion that the story is about us rather than remember He has created each of us to be a part of a much larger story than we could ever create and it is His story.

 

Even so, He gives us a lot of leverage in how our part of it will play out no matter what our role may be.

 

A long time ago I heard a graduation speaker share this:

 

“If you love life, do not waste time because time is what life is made of and what you are is God’s gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift to God.”

 

The memory of that statement has remained etched in my mind. When I was younger, I thought I needed to fill up my days to not waste time. Now I recognize there are many ways to fill up a day and the speaker didn’t mean to cram each day’s schedule to the brim. I believe he meant that each day should count whether I was working, appreciating the beauty around me and being in touch with the One who created it, or handling the duties that might come to me as a wife and mother.

 

I don’t take time for granted.

 

 So, today as we turn the page on another day, month, and year, what will you choose?

 

Will you gain new insights in the role the Lord has invited you to play in His story?

 

 Will you value your role whether it seems large or small?

 

 Just remember. Each day you are given the opportunity to add a few lines to His story. He loved you that much and invited you to create with Him and to therefore bring honor and glory to Him about all others.

 

What will you write?