Hello Loved Ones.
My heart is turned toward the topic of grace this week. Prompted by an outstanding sermon given by Matt Heard on Sunday, I seem to have finally found the wording to describe what I desire my attitude towards God to look like. I desire to be a woman who basks in the fullness of His extravagant grace, recognizing the beautiful nuances of this gift, and amazed by promises held in salvation. I want to grow in my understanding of His ways and see His signature on every part of my being.
I highly recommend taking a bit of time to listen to Matt's sermon by clicking here. It is titled "Extravagant Grace Pt 1:Welcome to the Table-Ephesians 1:6-8." Matt walks us through the story of Babbet and two elderly sisters who are a part of a strict religious sect. "Babbet can cook" is the mysterious phrase, one to which Matt relates "Jesus can redeem." This is a fascinating story that brings into light the importance of knowing God, recognizing His handwork, and of course what the implications of such understanding are.
The reality is this. I have two choices: to be complacent or to be content. Complacency is the far easier choice as it requires very little effort. Contentment is an entirely different animal. A.W. Tozer wrote, "Self-righteousness is terrible among God's people. If we feel that we currently am what we ought to be, then we will remain exactly where we are. We can not expect for there to be any sign of change or growth in our our lives. This will quite naturally lead us to judge everyone by what we are. This is the judgment of which we must be careful. To judge others by ourselves is to create havoc in the local assembly. Self-righteousness also leads to complacency. Complacency is a great sin and covers just about everything I have said about the rote and the rut. Some have the attitude, 'Lord, I'm satisfied with my spiritual condition. I hope one of these days You will come, I will be taken up to meet You in the air and I will rule over five cities.' These people cannot rule over their own houses and families, but they expect to rule over five cities. They pray spottily and sparsely, rarely attending prayer meeting, but they read their Bibles and expect to go zooming off into the blue yonder and join the Lord in the triumph of the victorious saints." I love this description of the seriousness of self-righteousness and complacency. This false sense of contentment is just that... a lie. It is a lie that keeps people from experiencing God's grace, and ultimately desiring to see His kingdom furthered. Wow!
Contentment, on the other hand, is found in the deeply rooted belief that God IS good, and that He desires good for me. This is a tricky statement, but really now, can I say God desires bad for me? No! His desire for me is good! He wants me to experience His extravagant grace, He wants me to know Him, He wants me to understand the importance of what He has done for me. He wants me to know these things, not only because He wishes good for me, but also because He wants His signature to be on my life. When His signature is on my being, He calls me to a place in His kingdom, one that comes from His great desire to have others know in every fabric of their being these truths.
The Colonel couldn't stop singing praises over Babbet's dinner, whereas the other guests absolutely refused to enjoy it. What a stark difference and gut-wrenching reality a the thought of such a beautiful gift! Being an avid food lover myself, I cannot imagine not gushing over such an extravagant and carefully planned meal. While I wish to exemplify the "Colonel" in my attitude at the table of God's grace, I also will confess that many times I have the attitude of the two sisters. The change in attitude must come from deep in my heart, and it must be through surrender to the things of the Lord- because ultimately, I desire what He desires, that others too may come to sing praises over the simple, but profound statement, "Babbet can cook... Jesus can redeem."
No comments:
Post a Comment