The Mommy Calling: Amazing Grace...or Unworthy Excuses

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Amazing Grace...or Unworthy Excuses

God's grace truly abounds every day, but are we allowing ourselves grace or just providing excuses? When we are adopted into the Kingdom of God it is not merely an acceptance of the "gift" of salvation, it is sacrificing my old self and becoming a new creation in Christ. It is picking up my cross daily to follow Him. It is not about heaven, but about my life here on Earth. If becoming a Christian were only about spending eternity with our Creator and Savior then don't you think we would be taken from this life into the next the moment we become saved? Time and time again scripture calls us to put aside our old selves, to not act as the "natural man", to abide in Christ. So why, when we find ourselves getting caught up in the patterns of our flesh do we simply continue in it expecting God's grace to cover us? God provides grace to cover our weaknesses, but so often we use His grace as an excuse to continue in our old behaviors. A lifestyle is a choice. If we continue in our weakness time and time again, expecting grace to cover us, but doing nothing to change our behaviors we are missing out on the fullness God has called us to. If we have the ability in Christ to be transformed, then why do we choose to cover ourselves in excuses to continue our old behaviors? Is it because we do not trust that we can change, or is it because we do not trust that God can change us? How can we set aside our old way of life, but continue to live in it at the same time? What does it say to God and to others about our relationship with Him if there is no change in us, if there is no belief in us, if there is nothing to set us apart from those in the world? Live your life in such a way that you do not have to share your faith with others, but others will notice it in your actions and will ask you about your faith. Accept God's grace in the moment, but don't cheapen your life by making excuses. Grace brings change, but excuses bring nothing but an unfullfilled life.

2 comments:

KathrynNovember 14, 2011 at 2:01 PM
After you commented on my blog I had to come check out yours, and boy am I glad I did! I am so glad you wrote about this, it is definitely an area I need to work on. This is such a wonderful, convicting, and encouraging post, I cannot wait to read more!
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3_little_arrowsNovember 14, 2011 at 2:16 PM
Thank you! I hope you saw the post that I linked up to yours!

How encouraging that someone found it "convicting" and still wants to read more haha. Trust me, all of my posts are about areas I am working on in my own life as well! I look forward to reading more of your posts as well!
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Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you found encouragement and joy from my posts. I would love to hear what you have to say! It is my responsibility to make sure all of the content is uplifting, respectful, and true. Any comments that are viewed as personal attacks, false accusations, and any use of profanity will not be tolerated. Thank you, and please leave a comment that I will be able to post so others can be encouraged through your words as well!

Proverbs 31:10-12, 25-31

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. Strength and honor are her clothing;she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Titus 2:1-8

Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. That the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things -- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise, exort young men to be sober-minded in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

What did you do today?

Today I was an explorer. I went on adventures to see the wonderful secrets of God's creation. I watched as the birds flew across the sky, listened as the wind blew through the trees, and felt the warmth of the sun upon my face. Today I was a chef preparing gourmet four-course meals the likes of which the finest restaurants have never seen. Today I was a teacher conducting experiments, revealing hidden truths, and watching the amazement of these lessons being learned for the first time. Today I was a student, a doctor, a friend, a performer. Today I was a MOM. And tomorrow I get to do it all over again!

My Hope For You

My hope for you, my fellow mommies, is that you will go throughout your day encouraged by successes, challenged by failures, and thankful for your experiences. That you will learn to thank God in the bad as well as the good, that you will use the powers of the Holy Spirit to become the best you can be, and that you will live your life according to the purpose you were given when you were created in the image of God Himself. May you find encouragement here so you can face the hardships of being a mom, a wife, and an imperfect person trying to live purposefully in an imperfect world, with grace.