Grace Awakening

I was born on Tuesday September 23rd, 1980.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  Ok...not really.  As a matter of fact, I don't have the greatest memory.  Sticky notes have become one of my best friends.  If I don't write it down, I'll more than likely forget.  That was off topic but I felt you needed to know.  Anyway, before I was conceived, my parents thought they were through having kids.  Little did they know right.  My mom was in her late 30's and my dad was in his early 40's.  I can't even imagine what that must have been like for them.  Afterall, they already had three teenagers in the house and now a baby.

From what I can remember though, life was good.  My mom and dad loved me, clothed me and most importantly...fed me. :)  Because my dad was gone a lot, he was a truck driver, my mom and I did just about everything together.  I can remember going shopping, fishing, yardselling, to church, for drives and spending lots of time outside together.  I had what you might call a normal childhood.  We lived in the country so there was lots of room to run and play.  You know, I miss those days.  They seem further and further away anymore.

From the time I was old enough to pick up sticks, my dad taught me how to work.  I can remember long days working outside in the hot sun.  My mom would come to the front porch and call us in for lunch.  Which was usually sandwiches, chips and momma's sweet tea.  The older I got the harder we worked.  I've shared before that those lessons learned working with my dad have shaped who I am today.  I'm thankful for what he taught me.  There is one thing that I wish I would have learned a little earlier in life though. 

What is that you ask?  God's grace.  You see, even though I grew up within the church, I had my fair share of struggles.  I grew up with the mindset that I had to earn God's favor...well, like I earned my dad's.  If I worked hard and did what I was told, everything was good between my dad and I.  So, as long as I did what God wanted me to do and went to church, read my Bible and prayed...everything would be good.  But, if I didn't...if I sinned...if I blew it...then God would reject me.  Because of that wrong thinking, I would often find myself constantly rededicating my life to God, only to fall short.  The cycle would then repeat.

It wasn't until I hit the lowest point in my life that God began to teach me about His amazing grace.  To say I wanted to end it all would be an understatement.  I've never felt so low.  So far from everything and everyone.  Up until that point in my life, I was a bit of a perfectionist.  Holding myself to unrealistic standards of holiness.  Again, earning my way in God's economy.  Galatians 5:4 pretty much sums up my existence, "You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."

I remember a pastor friend of mine sent me the testimony of a guy who, like me, learned some things the hard way.  There was one paticular part of this guys testimony that changed my life forever.  He said he was driving in his car and just talking with the Lord one day.  "God", he said, "I know you've forgiven me...but I just can't forgive myself".  Ever been there?  I know I have.  He went on to say he heard the Lord respond with this, "then your standard of holiness is higher than mine". 

That hit me like a ton of bricks.  That was the beginning of my grace awakening.  I realized at that moment that God already knew every sin, every bad attitude, every moment I would fall...and yet, He chose me.  This is where I get totally lost is the love of God and why I can say that nobody, and I mean nobody...loves me like He does.

 Romans 5:1-2 tells us that,
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God."

There are two words that are of high importance here, the word "justified" and the word "grace". 

What is grace?  The best definition I have is, undeserved favor or getting what we do not deserve.

What does justified mean?  It is simply God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before Himself through Christ. 

Are you getting this?  Listen carefully and repeat after me.  It doesn't matter what I do.  It doesn't matter what I say.  It doesn't matter what I think.  God has already forgiven me.  He already paid the price.  It's done.  I can't earn it.  I can't buy it.  I'm forgiven (Past, Present and Future)!  Amen!!!

That's the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  And it's because of this great love that we can say,  "For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Why wouldn't I give my every breath to Him?  His grace truly is amazing!!!  My prayer for you today is that you grab hold of this truth and let it grab hold of you that you may "boast in the hope of the glory of God." 

By the way, that is me with my mom and dad in the photo. :)