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God’s Grace: The Fuel for Enduring


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#1 Julie Daube

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Posted 28 August 2014 - 09:36 AM

By Dave Dravecky

"This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace." (Hebrews 4:15-16, NLT)

I have always had high expectations of myself – never wanting to fail – always wanting to be strong – never weak – earning my success - in the game of baseball and in my everyday life.

All that changed when cancer entered my life. Oh I was strong and performed well at the beginning of my journey of suffering. But as the journey took me into the wilderness and the days became long and endless, I experienced a weakness of my being that I had never felt before.

I had a fear of death – I doubted - then shame for my lack of faith. I experienced frustration over my weakness and my failure to overcome. This resulted in anger – rage filled fits - then extreme guilt over my sin. Like Adam in the Garden of Eden, my inclination was to run from God and hide.
BUT … running and hiding from God was not the answer. In order to endure I needed to run to Him and receive His grace even though I felt I had not earned it and therefore I did not deserve it.

But God loves who we really are – whether we like it or not.

"God calls us, as He did Adam, to come out of hiding. 'Come to me now,' Jesus says. 'Acknowledge and accept who I want to be for you: a Savior of boundless compassion, infinite patience, unbearable forgiveness, and love that keeps no score of wrongs. Quit projecting onto me your own feelings about yourself. At this moment your life is a bruised reed and I will not crush it, a smoldering wick and I will not quench it. You are in a safe place.'" (Brennan Manning,"Abba's Child")

God’s grace is an incredible source of fuel for enduring the journey. It encourages us to keep going even when we fall because we know He understands and knows our weaknesses yet He still loves us. This was a huge source of fuel for me to continue taking steps forward on my journey with Him knowing that “If we have only the will to walk, then God is pleased with my stumbles.”(CS Lewis)

Sometimes we are so sick and tired of stumbling that we don’t want to walk anymore. What a blessing it is to know that all we need to have is the will to walk with Him, and God is pleased with us – even when we stumble. That’s an incredible expression of grace. That is a tremendous motivation to keep stepping forward and endure the journey!

#2 Candice

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Posted 28 August 2014 - 07:26 PM

"I have always had high expectations of myself – never wanting to fail ..."

I can completely relate to this post. I feel like I stumble upon my flesh constantly. This is as true now as it was 10 years ago. It makes me wonder where's the sanctification to take place in my life.

I recently returned to work full-time at a hospital. This is the only hospital for 100 miles or more and, in the middle of frontier Wyoming, it is like stepping back in time to a place of no progress. Ideas get shoved to the side and logic flies out the window. I get frustrated and decide - "no, I hate work. It's not worth the hassle." This area of life is a real challenge for me. I get sick of stumbling and somehow find that my flesh - need to be performance-oriented -- has once again trapped me into feeling like giving up. Just stay home. But, our family needs the medical benefits. I'm so tired of stumbling over the same things. And, it seems its always a never-ending matter of debate -- who's right - best practice, etc.... Boy, can I relate to needing grace, servant spirit and humility. On top of that, I have a bad headache mid-day every single day. Well, I got that off my chest. :)

Julie, thank you for sharing.

#3 Julie Daube

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Posted 02 September 2014 - 12:53 PM

I think many of us can relate to Dave Dravecky's sentiments, Candice! The key is not to beat yourself up when you realize you're stumbling in that area (or in any area).

I also think a lot of Christians can relate to your frustration about sanctification and wondering where it is in their lives. I am sure this is how the apostle Paul felt when he wrote the following in Romans 7: "For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. . . Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?"

The problem is that we tend to think sanctification is up to us somehow, but it isn't. In my opinion, the key to sanctification is understanding that Jesus is our sanctifier. This is why I love the following statement from the Alliance Web site: "We can’t make ourselves holy any more than we can make ourselves saved—we become holy only by realizing that we haven’t got what it takes to be holy" (Romans 6:11; Romans 12:1â2).

Here's another good quote from the C&MA Web site on this subject: "It is also important to recognize that we need to be filled [with the Holy Spirit] again and again because we leak!"

I can't tell you how many times I have started my day abiding in Christ, meditating on and speaking His Word over my life, only to fall back into old thought patterns based on fear and discouragement or to lose my temper later that day. I used to beat myself up when that happened, but I don't anymore. Instead, I remind myself that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, and I focus on His unmerited grace and unconditional love for me. Interestingly, since I've been making a deliberate choice to respond this way when I fail, I've been struggling far less in those areas.

I was sorry to hear that your work situation is such a source of frustration. It's understandable you would get a headache in such an environment! May the Lord give you His grace for each day.

Be blessed!

Julie
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#4 Guest_Marvin Harrell_*

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Posted 08 September 2014 - 08:14 AM

Grace, Grace, God's Grace. Love this reminder! it's very simple to get caught up in the thought that it is all up to me to get sanctified…he does it all!