How it was left!
I was having coffee with a friend the other day and I was asked about my blog. I replied that I have just been swamped with life as of late and just have not had time or the the heart to post. They expressed concern, as of course I left my last post as “I am a sinner!” Perhaps there was concern that I had dropped off the deep end of life and never came back, or that I had finally just given in and truly lost my way. During that conversation, I thought, well I gues if I am going to make a final statement, that might be it, but then another side of me argued that, no, that is not really who I am, and certainly that is not how I wish to be defined.
So now after several days of thought, reflection and that internal dialogue we sometimes hear, I’m back. Mainly because their is more to my life than my transgressions, alot more. Don’t misunderstand me, I still have struggles, but at this moment I firmly believe that I have confessed all and have received forgiveness. Of course if you say to yourself you havent asked me for forgiveness, then please contact me, for I want to to be clean.
In contrast to sinner, I think that I can also describe myself as a Godly man. I think too often we think of a godly man as a man fully occupied keeping from the touches of the world through self control, but this is not godliness. Just as a photo negative is not a portrait. A negative misses all the color vibrancies and detail we value in a photo. Godliness is better described as the person who lets God transform him by the glorious truths God has revealed in this world. Jesus was full of grace and truth. He lived life to the fullest. Each step in Christ’s life was overflowing with the goodness of God pouring out so that others would also come to experience God’s goodness, i.e. he was colorful and vibrant.
A Godly man is not defined by what he doesn’t do, but by what he does! One of the abounding traits I look for in those that are Godly is grace. Grace is one of the key tennants of our faith, because without it, we would all be dead in our trespasses and sins. But just as God’s grace was given to us, I think a Godly man or woman, extends grace and lives a life of graciousness. Grace can be defined as the state of kindness and favor towards someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object. So we were the focus of God’s grace when Christ died to pay the penalty for our sin. So in being imatators is God, or Godly, grace should be a dominant part of our lives.
Think about it. We are challenged every day, in traffic, at work, even with our children and loved ones. How we respond, what we do. I like how the book of Acts talks about those of the early church, “All believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There was no needy person among them.” Wow!! Talk about a life of grace or graciousness. Wouldnt it be nice to stop at traffic not see someone standing their with “Will work for food” or “Anything helps” signs or that our rescue missions were empty becuase everyone had what they needed. Wouldn’t it be nice to be defined as “much grace was upon us all”?
I know that I try and live a life of graciousness, and through that I believe that God is glorified and that I live His heart. What about you? How have you shown grace today?
Blessing upon you.
