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What kind of purpose do my mistakes serve? I know that I’ve experienced God’s grace throughout my life- but do I still carry shame? Do I allow myself to believe these following words?
"Grace means that all of your mistakes now serve a purpose instead of serving shame." -Mike Rusch
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I saw a meme the other day that was trying to show how all religions are basically the same. It said that the basic premise of Christianity could be summed up in the Golden Rule…”So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12. Then it showed how other major religions had similar instructions. I believe the intent behind the meme came from a good place, of wanting to bring people together, and it's a popular idea- but it’s completely wrong.
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Where does faith come from? As a kid who grew up in church, faith in God has long been a part of my life. Christianity was the faith of my parents, and as a young child, I would have said it was mine, too. But mostly, I was going through the motions- no personal relationship with Jesus.
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How often, when I feel offended or hurt, would I be more at peace, if I were simply more humble? That is the question that has been rolling around my head lately. When I put away the thoughts of myself, about how I think I deserve to be treated, what do I have left to be offended about? Not much.
There’s no avoiding this simple fact: to be like Jesus is to practice humility.
How do I put away thoughts of myself when I don’t like the way I’m treated? I like how C.S. Lewis said it, in Mere Christianity,
Read moreI’ve been reading Elyse Fitzpatrick’s book, Good News for the Weary Women. It’s about escaping the bondage of perfectionism and the striving to please. She explains that as Christians, we don’t have to earn God’s favor because we already have it, through Jesus. I wasn’t feeling like the book was especially relevant to me, because I felt that I do understand a few things about God’s grace and forgiveness. I write about those things here on the blog, often. I know he loves us, no matter what. And yet, I identified with the “weary woman” part- the rules, the lists, etc. I figured my motivation was different, though, and that since I wasn’t doing those things to measure my worth with God, this book wasn’t for me. Then I read these words,
Read moreWhat does it even mean for the kingdom of heaven to draw near? Growing up in Christian circles, I’ve heard that phrase often, but I never paused to consider what it might mean, until recently.
Read more“Grace is for the desperate, the needy, the broken, those who cannot make it on their own. Grace is for all of us.”- Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew
I’m reading a book called, The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancey, and in it, he tells the stories of two famous Russian novelists, Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky. Yancey explains how these two men helped him better understand what Jesus was saying when he preached the Sermon on the Mount. I highly recommend Yancey’s book, and encourage anyone to read it for themselves, but I will give you a brief synopsis, because I’m excited to share what I’m learning about Grace and who God is. This is good stuff!
Read moreJen Hatmaker’s new book, For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards, releases today! I’m so excited to finally tell you more about this new book. I got to read an advance copy months ago, but I’ve kept (mostly) quiet, knowing that wouldn’t be very nice to tell you all about a book that wasn’t available yet. This is a book that you definitely will want to read.
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The point is not to find a place for God in our story but to receive the good news that God has found a place for us in His- Michael Horton.
It’s a shift in thinking that makes all the difference. Who is the story about? The gospel, which encompasses the stories of creation, the fall, redemption, and renewal, is God’s story, and we are invited into it. As Christians, we must approach our life, the world, God, and others through this lens. When we turn it around, trying to find a place for God in our story, we’re missing the point. When we make God’s story about us, we have religion.
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