Coming Clean

We’ve all heard the first step in recovery is admitting that we have a problem. The same is true in our need for grace. We must confess our desire to be clean and right before God.

Focus on the following truths:

Confession is agreeing with God about our sin.

Unconfessed sin festers in the soul, bringing only pain.

Confession brings about healing and promotes unity, not judgment.

 “First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.” (Matthew 23:26 nlt)

 

“If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.” (1 John 1:8–9 ncv)

 

Do you need to confess today?

Accepting God's grace is confessing our need to be forgiven and clean.

 

 

 

Being Angry

If God is willing to forgive His enemies then do we have the right not forgive ours? Christ told us to love our enemies. Who are you angry at or hold a grudge? Let’s take a look at a man who was angry at God in Jonah 4:1-4  But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.  He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.  Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”  But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

 Four attributes of God that we need to follow are:

1. God is gracious and compassionate.

2. God is slow to anger.

3. God is abounding in love.

4. God relents from sending calamity.

Jesus tells us to follow His example. We have the right to question God but, He also has the right to question us! What is He asking you to get over and move on from?

 

 With God's strength every set-back can be a come-back!

 Don’t miss giving the grace that you have received.

Eyes of Forgiveness

Most of us who grew up in Christian homes heard the story of Jonah and the Whale when we were very young. The image of being swallowed by a great fish for three days and then spit out caught our young imaginations. As adults there is so much more to the story.

There are great principles of God's grace and mercy. ⁵ Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. ⁶ Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. ⁷ But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. ⁸ When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” ⁹ But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” ¹⁰ But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. ¹¹ And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”Jonah 4:5-11

 Forgiveness depends on how we look at people and circumstances. We have two ways we can respond :

We can look through man’s eyes or look through God’s eyes. The first leads to hurt the other to mercy because of God's grace.

 How’s your vision?

Look at forgiveness through eyes of grace. It will put a smile on God's face.

Restoring Relationships Grace

Relationships are always worth restoring! “If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you … Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.” (Philippines 2:1-1 MSG)

Because life is all about learning how to love, God wants us to value relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt, or a conflict.

Paul taught that our ability to get along with others is a mark of spiritual maturity. If you want God’s blessing on your life and you want to be known as a child of God, you must learn to be a peacemaker. Here are seven biblical steps to restoring fellowship:

1. Talk to God before talking to the person.

2. Always take the initiative.

3. Sympathize with their feelings.

4. Confess your part of the conflict.

5. Attack the problem, not the person.

6. Cooperate as much as possible.

7. Emphasize reconciliation, not resolution.

Who do you need to contact as a result of reading this today? With whom do you need to restore fellowship? Don’t delay another second. Pause right now and talk to God about that person. Then pick up the phone and begin the process.

It takes a lot of effort to restore a relationship. That’s why Peter urged, “Work hard at living in peace with others.” (1 Thess. 5:13 NLT)

But when you work for peace, you are doing what God would do.

 

Don't miss grace - God calls peacemakers and grace givers his children.

Forgiving Grace

I recently read, "If hurts were hairs we'd all be grizzly bears!". It made me laugh, but there is so much truth in it. Everyone gets hurt. Sometimes many times in a day. If we do not deal with them they can consume us. Maybe we decide to it's not worth the hassle, but you can die from a thousand paper cuts.

Jesus set a great example when He washed the disciples feet. He said to go and do likewise. We usually see this as a call to servant hood, but there is a great lesson to learn here. Why did He wash everyone's feet? He could of looked at each one of them in the face and told them of how they had sinned and failed Him. But He didn't and He washed their feet - even those of His betrayer.

Are you willing to wash the feet of those who have failed you?

Jesus did and has told us to follow His example.

Don't miss receiving and giving grace - forgiving those who have hurt you is a great place to start.

Grace is an Action

Grace is a gift, but also an action.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. - Matthew 7:12 We know this as the Golden Rule. How can a believer live this out ?

Jesus gave us the example of washing feet in John 13, and said for His followers to do likewise.  Following His example leads us to a life full of grace and mercy.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32

What is a tangible Christ-honoring way you can show grace to someone who has hurt you in the past? Do it! It will bless them, you, and the Lord!
  Don't miss God's grace and opportunities to share it.

The Grace Response

Grace should shape our responses to hurt. This is an action—focus on God’s forgiveness not the pain.“Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32 nlt)

We have been forgiven of our sins by grace through Jesus Christ. We are to forgive others. Be vigilant that bitterness isn’t growing in your heart because of lack of forgiveness.

“Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” (Hebrews 12:14–15 nlt)

 Will you choose to forgive? How much has God forgiven you? 

 

What grudge are you holding right now?

 

Will you choose to give grace and forgive this week?

 

Don't miss God's grace...