Look at God!
Last night I asked God to show me some things in the Word. I'm generally behind in my writing so this is slightly our of order but nevertheless. I wanted to talk about what He gave me on my birthday for this year. As is my usual life, Chapter 6 of Galatians is where I was in my daily reading and in that text, I found so many things from Him. Let's go to the Word.
Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.
I ask God point blank how to handle my relationships. I ask about different ones some times. I'm shocked by how that changes them. When I got serious about hearing from Him about my mentor, it got real between me and God. When I moved back to NC, I wasn't trying to hear Him and I almost missed out on the restoration. I love finding verses like this because I've done this work. Now I know where it is scripturally. Knowing something is right on the inside of you and then checking it against the Word? Amazing.
When another relationship with my oldest mentor got hazy, I went to God about it. She's trying to figure out if she can be at my white coat ceremony. I'm continuously in prayer about what I believe to be the most important relationship in my life. This idea in this verse, that those of us that belong to Him have a responsibility to welcome folks back, I feel like its an extension of grace. I'd never thought of that as Biblical but more of a me thing. The truth in that is that the grace God has shown towards me can be extended. I can turn around and say "God is gracious unto me in ways I'll never deserve and despite the fact that you did something that hurt me, I'm going to extend grace to you. Its like a mirror. I just angle the grace God gives me at you. Small pivot... a little physics involved but it works. My friends sometimes think I'm crazy but now I have a Bible verse for that behind! Lots of times, this principle in my life has garnered me deeper, more meaningful, more vulnerable relationships. I'm not saying you can come back in my life and cause destruction because that's not okay. That's the attentive eye part cause I can't have that.
But if you want to do this thing, we can do it.
My only caveat, is I only do things fully.
This is what I'm doing this year. This is what I've done many other years...this is who I am.
Galatians 6:7b, 8b
For whatever a man sows, that and [h]that only is what he will reap.
but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
I want to sow kindness and gentleness and benevolence and love and reverence and grace and mercy and forgiveness and joy. The principle of sowing and reaping is real. Its part of why I am the way I am. I need all those things in my own life from the people I love so how dare I not sow those things into their lives. Those of the things of the Spirit. I sow not out of who I am, but who God is in me.
Galatians 6:9
And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
Let me tell you this isn't a cake walk. And I love cake...and walks. This isn't that. Doing the right thing is tiring. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood. Can I tell you its been worth it? I can't believe my mentor is even considering coming for my ceremony but she is. Why? Because I didn't act like the person people around me wanted me to be but out of who God's grown me to be. That growth....years in the making. I love watching my reactions to things be challenged by people saying it couldn't have been them because it isn't me either. Its Him in me doing our thing. Its relationship with Him which makes so much of my life much less crazy.
Now I can't say I've always been this way. I haven't always done the right thing and that's why His grace is so critical in my life. When I was wrong, He didn't withhold my eventual harvest. The blessing I got was still coming even though I behaved like a 3 year old. When I wasn't holding fast to noble action, His favor allowed me to be where I shouldn't have ever had access to. You ever find yourself somewhere you can't believe you are? I do. All those times I wasn't right and He showed up and used me anyway? Yea....that's grace. That's His hand in my life. That's Him being exactly who He said He'd be despite my frail humanity. He still reigns.
Galatians 6:18
The grace (spiritual favor, blessing) of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah) be with your spirit, brethren. Amen
I pray this is true for you because its the reality I rest in everyday. His grace endureth.
No comments:
Post a Comment