Sometimes we all get it wrong.  

We don’t mean to.  We’re attempting to live good, even godly lives, but in the process, we belittle God and elevate ourselves.

Do you ever find that when you read God’s word it smacks you in the face?  Take this verse for instance….

Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important
that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God.
No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves
is by what God is and by what he does for us,
not by what we are and what we do for him.
Romans 12:3 The Message

Grace.  We have some sort of understanding of grace… this unmerited favor of God.  And though none of us would ever admit it, though we acknowledge it, we pretty much take it for granted in in our daily lives.  Maybe that’s why this portion of the scripture passage grabbed me…

…it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. God brings it all to you. 

God brings it all to you.

So whatever does this phrase…  God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him …have to do with anything?

Good question!

God gives all of Himself to us every day.  He doesn’t withhold any of His goodness, grace, or presence. He is all in and all here… all the time. He brings it all to you.

We, on the other hand, don’t receive His ALL with open hands.  Instead… we get up on our high horses and run around doing things and thinking and believing and telling others that whatever it is we’re doing… we’re serving God with/by/through our actions. It’s so altruistic.  We’re such good people.  So godly.

I’m not suggesting that our acts of service aren’t good.  I’m suggesting that we’ve got a big head game going and it’s wrong.  Plain wrong.

Somehow we think that by doing all this stuff to “serve” God we are being good for God.  I venture to guess that you might even be thinking that you are garnering some of God’s approval by what you do.  Yes?

The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is
and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

So instead… let’s discover God.

We think we know God… but seriously… we haven’t a clue.

There is so much to God that we don’t even have a pinprick of an idea of who He is.

That means we’ve just begun our discovery process.

Let’s look for scriptures that tell us who God is….

Here are a few attributes of God… omnipresent, wise, good, forgiving, our Heavenly Father, unchangeable, love… just for starters

And then let’s get to know those characteristics of God.

Take a minute to consider what God does for you each day.  So much, it’s amazing.

Let’s count our blessings, let’s look for those God moments in the day and celebrate them, let’s consider the “coincidences,” let’s live with the heightened sense of what God is doing in us and displaying around us…

  Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes –
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

In the midst of discovering God… we need to have our eyes wide open to see all the things He’s doing for us.

Those places where God is working and doing in our lives will tell us more about Him and ourselves.

And that is amazing grace.

It’s JoyDay!

I’m so glad you’re here to join me for JoyDay!  There isn’t anything better than each of us sharing the good things God has done in our lives this week.  Both in the happy and the challenges.

Will you join with me in counting ‘seven’ from the past week?

I’ll start!

Thank you, God for…

1. my praying friends.  I love that we are not alone in this journey and that my soul sisters lift me up.
2. Your amazing grace spilled out and lavished over us.
3. friends who are the hands and feet of Jesus.
4. moving the one who has caused us so much consternation.
5. being in a position to be able to make a surprise trip this weekend.
6. Your wonderful provision.  My heart is full.
7. Your faithfulness, love, and joy.

Now it’s your turn!

Please join me by tapping in your ‘seven’ in the ‘share your extraordinary thoughts’ section below. I dare you!

Thank you for stopping by and taking time to leave your sweet thoughts.

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