Gracious Living

God showed me something small tonight but beautiful. I've been eager in moving forward in life walking with Jesus, and eager to see my friends there with me, and in it all, I think I've lacked in the grace department. Yes there is a place for solid, firm, 'lay-down-the-law' justice or conviction, or calling people out... But ultimately we are called to love people. And condemnation is only going to bring people pain, confusion and ultimately push them further away and give them a twisted image of Jesus and the christian faith.

I realized very clearly tonight that we are all on our own journey's. Some of us hiding from God, some of us walking with him, some of us think we are walking with him... But are really just fooling ourselves, and some of us are in that painful process of letting God bring us back to him... and sometimes that looks like giving up things that our dear to our hearts, but not good for us. The beautiful act of Christ giving his life for humanity to clean us and bring us life in its fullest is completely free, but will cost us everything. That sounds like an oxymoron, but bare with me... God desires me. He desires you. Because he created you in perfection. Wholly unique and beautiful. And he wants your heart. He wants to show you life to its fullest. He wants to teach you to live in his love. His love that conquered death and satan and fear. So ultimately, its us he wants. Its our full attention, our complete affection, and our utmost dedication and submission. Everything we have. The most amazing thing is... that this is the most fullest, joyful, rewarding, and satisfying life we could possibly live. That with Christ. Mind you, it's far from easy, and will be extremely difficult and demanding at times. So ya... Completely free... but still costs us everything... haha... an interesting concept!!

So something to ponder and most importantly practice: Love first. Love lavishly. Love beautifully. But Love with priority:

^37-40Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." (Matthew 22. Emphasis added)

You can't lead before you learn to follow.