I'm Hanging My Gloves

Note to Self: Focus on Christ!

Over the past few years, I have come into the understanding of God as a gracious and loving Father who isn’t angry at His children. My upbringing never taught me anything on grace. My religious upbringing confused me when it came to the image of God. He was sometimes good and sometimes…well he would be angry and judgmental.  My walk into grace and living in it has resulted in so much freedom in my personal life. While I am not perfect in my actions and still working through (by believing in His grace for) many other areas of my life, the Lord enabled me to walk in victory in the most tormented area of my life. I was free from many ungodly habits, consistent demonic attacks in my dreams and panic attacks. It’s been over 3 years now and none of this has affected me simply because I believe and have confidence in the fact that God is for me, in vital union with me and I am in Him being loved by Him who has an eternal commitment to love me unconditionally.

        
 I was so excited by this message that I started sharing this awesome gospel of grace with everyone around me. Some loved it and received it with so much joy. They experienced the freedom in being loved by God unconditionally.  Then there were those that got offended. What I said was misinterpreted as encouraging those to go and sin more. I would get into debates in an effort to understand what those who disagreed with me and clarify but to no avail. In addition, lies were usually spread and at times I didn’t respond very gracefully. I began to loose the joy and the excitement that I experienced when I first started believing these truths. My focus was not on Christ but rather trying to convince those who disagreed with me. I would get upset at those preachers, pastors who taught the stuff that I used to once believe. I was upset mainly because I knew in my hear t of hearts that what they preached was distorted and a diluted to a point where it wasn’t the gospel anymore. It very very very sad to see these things happening in the body of Christ.

Additionally I was upset that because “they weren’t getting it”. I realized I was trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit. Frankly, I’m tired. I forgot the fact that I once was in that position until the Holy Spirit revealed it to me personally. Grace will never cause a change until the Holy Spirit reveals it. And He will if you sincerely desire for it. I want to rest from all this and just focus on Christ. Grace is not trusting in my own effort by in His empowerment and His will. I have let offense and bitterness affect me instead of letting the same freedom I experience in Christ for myself that God gives me and I have failed to give it to others. However, it is God’s unconditional love to me that humbles me to write this. My pride wouldn’t allow me to do so.

God loves His church. He will work in all of us. My prayer is that God will open the eyes of those that are struggling and toiling. My prayer also is that I would learn to sometimes let this grace affect me when it comes to my relationships. I refuse now to be offended if you don’t share my view. The unconditional love of God to me enables me to accept you as He accepts you! I say this again my dearest brothers and sisters, let our eyes be on Christ and let Him work in us by His precious Holy Spirit. I ask for your forgiveness if I have offended you by the ‘way’ I communicated these truths. I will choose to continue focusing on His unconditional love and grace for me and show it to those in need.

 

May grace and peace abound to you through the knowledge of our loving Christ!

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