Self absorption
Self image
Self pride
...
We, as people, have become so egotistical. We, as the body of Christ, have forgotten where we came from. We need to remember how Christ saved us all from hell when we consciously decided to follow Him and let Him lead us; the cheater, the murderer, the thief, the doubter, the liar. Even you, the good person with a not so bad past. We were all on the same road of self destruction without Christ. Not one is better than the other, not one sin is more prominent than the other. Please let us never forget the grace gifted in us, the mercy offered to us, and love lavished on us. Because we have been bestowed grace, mercy, and love, we - as ambassadors and reflections of Christ- are called and commanded to also bestow it on others. And not calling us to bestow upon strangers or unbelievers only, but those that have hurt us, used us, and even abused us. We all have those people that have done us wrong, whether intentionally or unintentionally. We are called to have grace and mercy on them; far from easy or desirable to us, I know-- believe me, I know. We've made life all about us; leaving others behind, forgetting to glorify God with our lives, disregarding the lost. We have ALL fallen short.
BUT there is good news! We can make a conscious decision to love, be graceful, and be merciful. God does not scoff at us and turn his back on us when we may feel like the exact opposite of graceful, loving, or merciful. Actually, He wants to be there with us every step of the way; holding our very hands and working in and through us. We have to surrender and trust what God is doing; we just have to. Even when we don't feel like it, even when we feel entitled to our feelings of hurt, even when we're upset, even when all is going well-- we need God. Th creation must know the Creator; know Him intimately and personally.
I'm learning to truly live this all out. I pray you join me in the journey.
xo
