This post is not meant to be perfectly coherent... Its a subject that i struggle to grasp and put at work in my life. So please bare with me, there are some things on my heart and I'm not sure the correct words are in my head.
Grace - Unmerited favor... This concept that alludes me... I mean I get it, I can't do anything to earn God's love.
Eph 2: 8-9
For ye are saved by grace, through faith; and this not of yourselves; it is God's gift: not on the principle of works, that no one might boast.
And i know my exact problem here... Let me state it plainly, I judge myself to be unworthy. I struggle this this feeling of unworthiness in some many areas of my life; To the point at times when i'm just waiting for someone to tell me that it was a mistake and i no longer belong. This feeling that there must be someone else that is smarter, prettier, better, kinder or more qualified than me. I have the feeling sometimes when i walk in to School and i just wait for someone to tell me that they made a mistake in accepting my application (Its called impostor syndrome) or when i am on edge waiting for my friends or boyfriend to tell me our relationship is over. There is no reason for this, I can't shake it, and I've tried. I've tried to reason my way through my insecurities, to grasp some sort of problem that I can eliminate or fix. But it always comes back to this one question: Why in the world would ANYONE, especially God choose me? What could He have possibly seen in my stupid choices, reckless decisions and selfishness to say "yeah that's the one, I want HER".
Then tonight for some reason it just hit me... Iam not chosen for who I am now at this point in time, I was chosen for who i am becoming. God chose me because he saw what i would become as i walked in his light and righteousness. His chose me because he saw what his power could effect in me.
Proverbs 4:18
But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
The point being that God doesn't choose to extend grace to us because of our qualifications, he extends his love and grace to us because of our Kingdom potential. He chooses us for everything that his power and love can effect in us. Because you were made in his image, you have the potential to become like him, abounding in love, joy, peace and a lover of truth and justice; Spreading the good news and doing good works in his name. This calling that he has placed on my life cannot be changed or removed; regardless of how inadequate i feel.
Romans 11:29
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Just because i feel unqualified now doesn't mean i will never be qualified. If fact God is qualifying me as we speak. He started by making me clean by washing away my sins and cleansing me with his blood; now his is purifying and teaching me in the school of spirit. I am made worthy by he who has seen my end and ESTABLISHED it as GOOD.
Innately, I am not worthy of anything. But i truely hope that the people who have chosen to have me in there lives chose me not based on the "Now me", because I don't hope to stay with these flaws for long. I hope that God maybe gave them a small glimpse of the "future me", the one that is purified, a more perfect reflection of my creator in whose image i was made.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Don't Fall Short of Glory
Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Christ in you the hope of glory.... It is the hope of glory because if Christ is in you, you have the chance to choose glory, to not fall short of the mark... This is working toward the perfect example of Christ: To only do the work of the Father, nothing else.
Once we are saved, we should not be falling short of glory. Since we were removed from the sin nature, we should be hitting glory Every Single Time. The flesh is at war with the spirit, trying to keep you from hitting the mark of perfection. You must have hope and confidence that you will hit glory every single day; You can't get to glory without faith. Our greatest authority is that we can CHOOSE GLORY over sin(missing the mark). You must have a strong will for glory. You can't have a passive attitude when working to fulfill your destiny and reach glory. There is a pressure in this world that will try and conform you to miss the mark. But learn to recognize it and don't let that pressure keep you from choosing glory!
These are some Tips that someone once told me:
Recognize temptation - don't ignore it, that's not faith. Faith doesn't ignore problems; faith sees the obstacle and recognizes that the word of God is stronger. Darkness only has power through illusion and confusion. Call it out and speak the Word of God over the problem; the word is you sword --> use it fight.
Make a choice for glory- every sin is based on misuse of power, position, authority or ability. You have been given power, position, authority and ability to choose God's glory. Some things God has put in your control. When you make a habitual choice for glory, things will no longer be temptation for you. You can configure your mind so that certain things will not register with you... You can configure your mind to see GLORY in every situation. Temptation is not evil, not choosing glory is when it becomes sin(missing the target).
Philippians 2:5-13
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
God is working in you to have the same vision of GLORY. Keep your eyes on the GLORY, you have to see the glory in order to choose it.
Transformation is irreversible change. Let God transform your mind by keeping it renewing it to the Word. The word of God and prayer must be used to choose glory. You have to keep your life flow going... Give God a foot hold, to flush living water through you, that water brings life.
Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face. Make your training instinctive, so that your spirit man is buff in the fruit of the spirit and faith and grace, power and glory. Choosing glory should be our first reaction. Train when there is nothing so that when you get punched in the face choosing GLORY is you first reflex. You must be constantly vigilant.
-MiniMug
Christ in you the hope of glory.... It is the hope of glory because if Christ is in you, you have the chance to choose glory, to not fall short of the mark... This is working toward the perfect example of Christ: To only do the work of the Father, nothing else.
Once we are saved, we should not be falling short of glory. Since we were removed from the sin nature, we should be hitting glory Every Single Time. The flesh is at war with the spirit, trying to keep you from hitting the mark of perfection. You must have hope and confidence that you will hit glory every single day; You can't get to glory without faith. Our greatest authority is that we can CHOOSE GLORY over sin(missing the mark). You must have a strong will for glory. You can't have a passive attitude when working to fulfill your destiny and reach glory. There is a pressure in this world that will try and conform you to miss the mark. But learn to recognize it and don't let that pressure keep you from choosing glory!
These are some Tips that someone once told me:
Recognize temptation - don't ignore it, that's not faith. Faith doesn't ignore problems; faith sees the obstacle and recognizes that the word of God is stronger. Darkness only has power through illusion and confusion. Call it out and speak the Word of God over the problem; the word is you sword --> use it fight.
Make a choice for glory- every sin is based on misuse of power, position, authority or ability. You have been given power, position, authority and ability to choose God's glory. Some things God has put in your control. When you make a habitual choice for glory, things will no longer be temptation for you. You can configure your mind so that certain things will not register with you... You can configure your mind to see GLORY in every situation. Temptation is not evil, not choosing glory is when it becomes sin(missing the target).
Philippians 2:5-13
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
God is working in you to have the same vision of GLORY. Keep your eyes on the GLORY, you have to see the glory in order to choose it.
Transformation is irreversible change. Let God transform your mind by keeping it renewing it to the Word. The word of God and prayer must be used to choose glory. You have to keep your life flow going... Give God a foot hold, to flush living water through you, that water brings life.
Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face. Make your training instinctive, so that your spirit man is buff in the fruit of the spirit and faith and grace, power and glory. Choosing glory should be our first reaction. Train when there is nothing so that when you get punched in the face choosing GLORY is you first reflex. You must be constantly vigilant.
-MiniMug
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Count it all Joy... James 1:2-4
Ok, so I know that everyone and their brother likes to quote this verse at you when you are going through something rough. But as i was studying today, i saw somethings that i hadn't really noticed before and thought i would write them down.
James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Now let me give you some definitions:
Those first couple verses are great and they make me want to stop and just praise Jesus for a while, but it was the last verse that i really began thinking about today. So verse 4 tells us to "let" endurance have its perfect work in us. I've always thought that this meant: "ok, I'll just trudge through this hard spot and passively "let" things "pass" and that is me practicing patience. But I realized my mistake when i look us the word "let" in the Greek....
James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Now let me give you some definitions:
- Joy - cause or occasion for jubilation
- Encounter - Peripipto in the Greek meaning to "fall into"
- various - random
- trials - enticement of sin or times of adversity
- Endurance - deliberate purpose, steadfastness and constancy.
Those first couple verses are great and they make me want to stop and just praise Jesus for a while, but it was the last verse that i really began thinking about today. So verse 4 tells us to "let" endurance have its perfect work in us. I've always thought that this meant: "ok, I'll just trudge through this hard spot and passively "let" things "pass" and that is me practicing patience. But I realized my mistake when i look us the word "let" in the Greek....
- let - verb --> "echo" --> hold ones self to a thing, lay hold of, adhere to and cling to...
This is not the passive interpretation that i had envisioned. Actually it is quite the opposite.. Being a verb this word is an action word. If i remember correctly from my years of watching Grammar Rock: "VERB - that's whats happening". You have to cling to endurance; endurance is not passive at all. Think about when you are running: you are trying to set a new personal record or expand your distance. I can tell you from experience that is NOT PASSIVE. I have to FORCE my legs to keep moving, my lungs to keep breathing; let me tell you there is a LOT of positive self talk going on during that time of endurance to reach my goals. It's the same thing here, you have to cling to your endurance or it will slip away from you before you know it.
So hold your self to endurance... In whatever you are going through, don't loose your deliberate purpose to steadfastly and constantly cling to God's promise of good. Because the one who calls you is faithful and HE WILL DO IT. (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
Extra bonus: you know why cultivating endurance cultivates perfection - perfection meaning without blemish or defect, free from sin! It because if you have the endurance, you have the patience to wait for the fulfillment of the promise of something better, better then the earthly temporary gratification that sin will give you.
Thoughts and responses are more than welcome...
-G
Thoughts and responses are more than welcome...
-G
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