Embrace the Within no. 206

“Now to him who by his power working in us is able to do far beyond anything we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the Messianic Community and in the Messiah Yeshua from generation to generation forever. Amen” (Ephesians (Eph) 3:20-21). God is awesome BUT sometimes we choose to believe He needs us. God wants us BUT He does not need us. He does not need me to complete His work. He allows me to participate in His creation and His plan.

When I can get too caught up in the work I am doing, I take time to recognize that my work is not necessary. Nothing I write or do is going to make any difference without Him. I spent plenty of years banging my will against life with little to no real success. I might have been successful from outward standards BUT that wasn’t the success I was looking to find. It was fruitless, pointless, “I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely blaring brass or a cymbal clanging” (1 Corinthians (1 Co) 13:1). And I clanged away day and night. And my clanging not only got on the nerves of others BUT it got on my nerves as well.

I was banging and clanging all day like “. . . a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/Signifying nothing” (Macbeth V, v, l. 25-27). BUT I lacked love. I wasn’t bringing the Good News out of love. And that makes all the difference.

Talking about God’s love and grace and mercy is going to get negatively labeled as ‘sugar-coating’ the Word. BUT everything I know about love and grace and mercy is from Him. So I am going to coat everything in love and grace and mercy. Because Jesus layered on the love and grace and mercy thickly. The love and grace and mercy that Jesus brought was for those seeking Him. That is where the sugar flowed freely. The condemnation and judgment flowed on the religious folks that lacked love and grace and mercy. They needed to get the sugar bowl.

I no longer clang all day long. I give glory to God who deserves that glory and thankfulness for His love and grace and mercy. The God that does all things with me even though He doesn’t need my help. He wants my help. And that makes it even better. Because I don’t have to worry about doing anything right. He makes everything right.

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

People are not Easy to Love (no. 13)

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive” (Colossians (Col) 3:12-13 CJB). Compassion through kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness are the ways we are to act as God’s chosen people. If we are His followers, then we will act so that these traits are easily seen by others. People are not easy to love because they fail to follow Him.

I have not always been a good follower of God. I spent a long time away from church because I had a problem with church. And one main problem was that I didn’t see compassion in the church. I have read The Bible, I have listened to Him, and when I see Him I see His call for goodness, mercy, and compassion.

I never planned on being back in the church when my latest journey began three years ago. And now I am actively visiting a number of churches in various capacities as often as I can. And while I don’t know if church has changed, I know that my perspective on church has changed. I have to trust that God has a plan for me to walk because “A person may plan his path, but Adonai directs his steps” (Mishlei (Pro) 16:9 CJB). So a lot of my walk today is just trusting in the fact that He is still enthroned and that He always wins.

As I said yesterday and warrants repetition today, I commonly joke about things working out in life for His glory by saying, “It’s almost like He has a plan or something.” And when I place too much emphasis on my role in that plan, I take the emphasis off who’s plan it is and how important I really am to that plan. He is always in charge even when we don’t want to acknowledge that, “Here is the word of Adonai that came to me: ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I separated you for myself. I have appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.’ I said, ‘Oh, Adonai Elohim , I don’t even know how to speak! I’m just a child!’ But Adonai said to me, ‘Don’t say, ‘I’m just a child.’ For you will go to whomever I send you, and you will speak whatever I order you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you, says Adonai , to rescue you'” (Yirmeyahu (Jer) 1:4-8 CJB). And if I spend a little more time trying to act like Him rather than trying to figure out His plan, I find it has made life so much simpler. I am no longer looking to be enthroned because I know I will never sit there. I will be on the exact same side as everyone else when judgment comes. And that is because it isn’t my plan and I am not in charge of it. What I am in charge of doing is being an Ambassador for His Kingdom. And that looks like compassion through kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. If I am His follower, then I will act so that these traits are easily seen by others. I am not easy to love when I fail to follow Him.

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH