Evidence of Grace

"The Lord's hand was with them,

and a great number of people believed 

and turned to the Lord.

News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem,

and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God,

he was glad and encouraged them all

to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts."

Acts 11:21-23

This world is evil.  Every time I read the newspaper, log onto the Internet, or turn on the television, I'm bombarded with confirmation of the darkness that seems to prevail.  Murder, scandal, corruption, immorality of every imaginable kind, abuse, greed and apathy rule the headlines and run rampant in the lives of those around me.  It's easy to get discouraged, thinking there is nothing good in all the world.

The truth, however, shows me that there is evidence of the grace of God all around me.  Every breath I take is a gift from my Father in heaven, the giver of all good things.  He fills the world with beauty simply to give me joy.  The laughter of children, love between a husband and wife, and hope for eternal life available through the precious gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ all stand as proof of the Creator's kindness and mercy.

Perhaps the most powerful proof of God's benevolence is in the way He moves in the hearts of the ones He created in His own image.  Witnessing His supernatural work in the lives of people is a call to remain true to the Lord in the way I live my life.  But how do I do this?

Grace

I am a woman, wife, mother, friend, writer, teacher and encourager, but the one piece of my identity that I must constantly keep at the forefront of my mind is that I'm a sinner saved by grace.  Forgetting this vital part of who I am leads to judgementalism, arrogance and Pharisaical thinking.  

The Pharisees were a group of Jewish men during the time Jesus lived on earth as a human who were considered to be experts in the law God gave to Moses, and zealously enforced the keeping of that law.  They probably thought they were helping others to do what God had said to do, but in their enthusiasm, they lost sight of the God whom they should have been trying to please.  Instead, they became convinced of their own piousness and were sensitive only to the sins of those around them.  

As a result, Pharisees were criticized by Jesus for their hypocritical, shallow and religious ways. (Matthew 23:13-36)  In order for me to guard against this kind of natural progression in my attitude, I must keep my true identity in mind:  Without Jesus, I am simply a sinner destined for Hell who is unable to do anything good and am powerless to save myself.

Jesus, who is God in the flesh and worthy of all honor and praise, is to be exalted through all the nations, deserves to remain in His rightful place at the right hand of God the Father and receive all respect and glory.  Instead, He came to earth as a mere baby, born as a lowly carpenter's son and grew into a man who was easy to overlook; common and homely.  (Isaiah 53:2-3)

Even though Jesus knew that the treatment He would receive from those He created would be cruel and bring nothing but sorrow, He came anyway.  He lowered Himself to such a humble position in order obey the Father He loved.  (Philippians 2:5-11)

In the same way, I am to think of obeying God above all things.  Keeping a humble attitude by remembering my true identity is key in developing a heart that wants to please God through obedience.

I can remain true to the Lord by keeping an attitude of humility as I remember my dependence on the grace of God.

Faithful

It is said that dog is man's best friend.  As the owner of two Lab-mixes, I can see why this saying became prevalent.  A dog is faithful to a fault, staying true to his master even unto death.  I have heard of a dog standing guard at his owner's gravesite, unwilling to move from the side of his friend.  Canine loyalty and devotion is legendary.

I can learn something from my doggy friends.  Remaining faithful to Jesus as the author and perfecter of my faith is fundamental to my ability to please God.  (Hebrews 12:2)  I just can't please Him in my own effort.  I can try to produce fruit, but change that lasts only comes from Him. (Galatians 6:22-23) I can work hard to convince others of the truth of the Gospel, but no one can see their need for Jesus apart from the Father's influence.  (John 6:44)  I can study the Bible all the days of my life, but until I'm led by His Spirit, it just won't make sense. (1 Corinthians 2:10)

God is a powerful God who has accomplished amazing feats of wonder.  The most amazing deed He has completed is to reconcile sinful man to Himself; a holy, righteous God.  He did the impossible through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ.  In so doing, He made a way for me to receive all that He has planned for my life if I'll only faithfully walk with Him.

As Oswald Chambers said, "All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant."  He has already done His part.  All that is left is for me to accept His invitation and join with Him.  When I do this, I will see transformation that could never occur apart from Him.

I can remain true to the Lord by staying faithful to Jesus Christ as my bridge to Him and the source of true power in my life.

Focus

One of my daughters is a college student who has a hard time keeping on task.  She has many interests that can distract her from the job of studying and completing assignments.  To help her stay focused, she makes a written plan for each day and refers to it often.

It's not so different for me in my walk with the Lord.  There are relationships, jobs, duties, hobbies and pastimes that can draw my attention away from Him.  It's easy for me to get off track as I chase a new interest or pursue an activity that brings pleasure.  Other times I'm thrown off with worries that send me down a path of seeking security.  Then there are the times I just get plain ambitious in trying to make a name for myself or to succeed in my career.  Whatever the means, the result is the same: My attention is diverted from my One True Love.

Staying true to my calling and keeping on task means I'll have to readjust my focus.  If I'm paying attention to the outcome of my effort, the things that I need, or the problems that life brings, I'll wander away from the Lord.  But if I keep my mind tuned to God's kingdom, He'll take care of producing fruit, providing for needs and solving issues while I grow closer to Him.  (Matthew 6:33)

The Apostle Paul knew there was nothing worth pursuing in life that was worth his time apart from staying true to what Christ had called Him. (Acts 20:24)  Anything else was considered to be a waste.

I can remain true to the Lord by keeping focused on God's Kingdom and what He is calling me to do.

Even though I live in a dark world, the evidence of God's grace is all around me, if I'll only pay attention.  Once I do, I'll be inspired to stay true to My Love by remembering I'm saved by grace, stay faithful to Jesus, and do whatever it takes to keep my focus on His kingdom.  It is then that the evidence of grace will also be written all over my life.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can be encouraged by God's mighty hand.

When do I forget who I am and start to focus only on the sin of others?

How am I easily drawn away from Jesus?