Perfectly Imperfect Paradox - 8.12.09 1345

The Christian life became so much easier when the nature of salvation became real to me. And it was simple. I was trying to be perfect. I would stress when I failed and would rejoice when I felt I was on track. Instead of letting God take control, I would try to do what's right or figure out the right path without God, to show him I was trying to be the best Christian ever! But being a follower of Christ means not stressing about every action. Just live! God grows the seed. God causes maturity. All you've got to do it respond to his guidance and let him work! Mistakes come and go, but you're still loved and accepted so learn and move on. Pray and read your bible because it keeps your focus right and lets God talk to your heart. That is living by the Spirit. Not going through life with your version of the 10 Commandments to help every decision. God (speaker of the 10 commandments) already lives in you, so let him conform you like he promised and stop trying to do his job.

Salvation - 4.29.09 1045 (Part 1)

Salvation is such a hard thing to wrap my head around, and I think it is for a lot of people. I think if it was really understood what kind of salvation Christ brought & God gave, we would all act a little more like we were intended to. We accept the concept that we are saved by grace not by works, but we live like we are still held accountable to our sins. "There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus." Saints are not judged, we are rewarded! From the moment of accepting Christ we begin building treasures in heaven, but there's nothing I've come across yet that says God also takes away treasures in heaven as you do bad things. What it talks about instead is wasting the moments given to you. You've been entrusted with talents and he expects you to be good stewards. I might be mixing metaphors though, because the guy who did nothing with his talents was definitely condemned. But when you compare the rest of the New Testament with that image, it almost makes sense, because salvation and being saved is supposed to prompt a certain action and way of living. If it hasn't, then are you saved? And if you're not saved, then it wasn't your actions that denied your salvation (because then salvation would be about works), but it was that you probably never accepted it in your heart in the first place. John's epistles and Hebrews, at least, talk about something to that effect.

That's what I mean about if you really understood what the salvation that is offered was all about, you'd live differently! Not one who is afraid of losing it with every mistake, stray thought, of victory of the "flesh," and not one who is being held back by burdens of "not being good enough" or guilt baggage. You are accepted! You're in heaven! You're in a relationship with God! Get over yourself and just keep moving forward, keep looking for the next positive impact you can make and don't lose momentum on the mess-ups you're making along the way. Because if you do that, your mess-ups will get fewer, your barriers smaller, and your perspective more Godly.

Blessed Mistakes - 1.18.09 1100

"Men will always be making mistakes as long as they are striving after something." -Goethe

Well that's a refreshing thought. Encouraging too. Knowing that if I'm not making any mistakes it's not because I know or do everything perfectly, it's because I'm not pushing myself. To be better, to do better, to move forward in life or my goals. If I'm stumbling, then it shows that I'm at least walking, right?


It goes for humanity too, on a larger scale with bigger consequences. We may have polluted the air with our progress and technology, but we were striving to make life easier and possible a better place to live. And now that we know about the mistakes we made, we're slowly trying to correct it and turn around our habits we've acquired. I've made mistakes trying to be better, and with Christ I'm struggling to turn around. I may never make it, but it won't keep me from trying, so that i can prove to myself I'm committed to the Cause of Christ. Which, oddly, in return, gives me the strength and confidence to keep going and keep asking God in my life to help.