Tag Archives: Grace

Just Not Fair

Posted in Reflections From My Heart by

GGBlog

One year ago, in the heat of my job search, I was asked the question, “What kind of job are you looking for?” Fast-forward to today and the exact job that I described starts in two days; the day after Easter. In an effort to leave my previous role in good faith, I gave a generous six week notice. To be perfectly clear about my intentions, I sincerely wanted to transition well. With over 80 stakeholders dependent upon me, I not only wanted to contact each one to complete any unfinished projects, but, I also wanted to leave that role, the company, my team and successor better off than when I started six short months ago.

TESTED:  One week into my resignation, the President of the company announced that the company will benefit from the recently passed Trump Tax Bill and decided to pass that savings along to the employees in the form of a bonus – Myself EXCLUDED. Even worse, one week prior to my last day of employment, He announced an incentive to which he denied me – AGAIN! A total loss exceeding $8,000. Ouch!

This news was such a blow. After all, I gave this company 110%. Since the beginning I went above and beyond the terms outlined in my job description. I accepted additional travel away from my family, adjusted hours to accommodate those who needed me outside of my normal business hours and frequently responded to emails/voicemail on off hours. Don’t I “deserve” this bonus?

Emotions aside, God has done a work in my heart over the past six weeks to the point where I have come to terms with the fact that I don’t deserve anything. I didn’t do anything that I did, or had planned to do, with the expectation of receiving bonuses. Since day one, I was wholeheartedly working for the Lord, not for men (Colossians 3:23), but isn’t it interesting that once money entered the picture, feelings of greed, selfishness and entitlement began to dominate my thoughts and motives.

The bible has a lot to say about greed and on this side of heaven, nothing is fair. Even King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, says in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”

Here are a few more:

Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”

Proverbs 22:9, “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”

Luke 12:15, “Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions.”

So I conclude on this celebratory Easter weekend that I am ever so grateful for Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, that assures heaven for all who believe. If you find yourself in a situation that just isn’t fair, like me, be reminded of Matthew 6:20, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Our eternal rewards far exceed the temporal things of this world.

If anyone doesn’t deserve something, Jesus didn’t deserve to die on the cross for me and I most certainly don’t deserve his ongoing gifts of grace and mercy. My past employer can keep my bonus money, because I know where my real treasure is. I now pray that God receives glory for my conduct this last six challenging, heart-tested weeks.

 

 

Sassy Mouth

Posted in Daily Devotions: Chapter by Chapter by

mouth

Today’s Devotion: Leviticus 5

We have all heard the phrase, “Ignorance is no exception to the law.” I don’t like that phrase. It basically says, “Even if you have no clue about what is taking place, you’re guilty by association.” That, my friends, is a very helpless place to be. It implies that just because you are physically present to the crime, you are a criminal. If you are in proximity of a robbery, you are a thief. If you hang around with people who are gossips, you are a gossiper and if you are in the company of slobs, you are a slob. True or not – God is saying intentionally or unintentionally, aware or unaware, we are guilty.

Verse 4 jumps out at me, “Or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt.”

My paraphrase, “Don’t make promises that you aren’t going to keep or carelessly swear.” Do you know what I think is the most misused, but unintentional sins. Saying the words, “I will pray for you.” How many times have you become aware of someone’s hardships and you throw out these words aloofly. Perhaps you really planned to pray and forgot? I’ll go ahead and throw myself under the bus here, “I’m guilty!” Because of this, I make a point of NOT saying that phrase unless I mean it and WILL do it. None-the-less, I think it proves that point that God is making in Leviticus 5:4.

Then there is that tongue of ours; James 3:7-8 says, “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” It was amazing when I first became a believer, God cleaned up my language. Slowly and over time some of those nasty little verbs have crept back into my vocabulary.

Leviticus 5 is a reminder to me today (and hopefully you) to become more consciously aware of my sin and clean up my act. At the same time, this chapter has made me aware what I will continue to fail AND there may be a host of things that I don’t even know I need to clean up, fix, or stop doing. The Holy Spirit is our counselor, so I have every confidence that He will prompt us to become aware of our shortcomings, but at the same time we can have peace that Christ covered them all – past, present, and future. I’m reminded, once again, to turn my eyes to the cross and humble myself to all Christ has done for me – even stuff I don’t even realize He has covered. Isn’t that a beautiful picture of God’s grace?

Recipe For Right Living

Posted in Daily Devotions: Chapter by Chapter, Reflections From My Heart by

Chef

Today’s Devotion: Exodus 29.

Of all the gifts and talents the Lord has given me, cooking is not one of them. I know for you cooks out there, you don’t understand it. I have heard my entire life, “What do you mean? It’s so easy!”

That’s easy for you to say…. you know how to cook! It’s not for a lack of effort, I have a family and I’ve tried to please them with my best attempt at great and wonderful things, but I’ve ruined a lot of simple dishes – like green bean casserole. Grilled cheese is a delicacy in my house.

As I’m reading this chapter of Exodus I felt like I was reading a recipe. It kept going on and on. There are a lot of commanding words from God like, “Take, do, and, then, put.” It’s very intimidating. What if they missed something, as I am prone to missing something, when I glaze over the instructions contained within a recipe book? Do you know what happens? It ends badly.

God has instructions throughout the book of Exodus that are specific and purposeful. Since the Old Testament contains so many symbolic parallels to Christ, I draw the conclusion that even though we are not expected to give God burnt offerings, altars, bread without yeast, or sacrifices of year-old lambs; we are expected to follow His little instruction book – the bible.

It’s a big book though and in our sinful existence, you know we’re bound to miss something. That’s the beauty of Christ – we can. Just like my family offers me grace and forgiveness when they say, “It’s o.k. Mom, you tried… I’ll just have cereal.” Rather than beating me down and making me feel bad, they work around it. They still get a meal and that’s what God does for us. He’ll meet our needs, even when things don’t turn out.

I Will Obey… NOT!

Posted in Daily Devotions: Chapter by Chapter by

obey

Today’s Devotion: Exodus 24. How many times have you said this? “God, I will obey you.” Only to prove yourself a liar? I have and there is nothing more humiliating then putting your best foot forward and falling flat on your face.

Have you ever stood in Sunday service and looked at the words you are singing? Let’s take this lyric for example…

Wherever you want me to go. I will go
Whatever you need me to do. I will do
Whatever you like me to say. I will say
Just speak the word lord I’ll obey

Whether it’s on a mountain high or in the valley low just have your way whatever you say lord I’ll obey

Wherever you want me to preach. I’ll preach whenever you need me to sing I’ll sing whenever you want me to pray I’ll pray

 Whether it’s in a crowed room or some place where there’s just a few. Whatever you say lord have your way and I’ll obey

 I will obey you lord
I will obey you lord
Just have your way
Whatever you say I’ll obey

Really? How are we any different than the Israelites when they were given God’s laws? Verse 7 says, “Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, ‘We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.’”

Let’s not kid ourselves. We aren’t capable of being obedient to God. We can be consciously aware of what is right and what is wrong, but to think we can live a life of obedience is only to fall short of the glory of God  (Romans 3:23) over and over again.

So rather than saying we will obey, let’s just admit that we can’t and pray that God would take our lives, do with it as He wills, and praise Him for who He is and what He has done. This not only takes the pressure off of us, but it puts all the credit onto Him where it belongs.

Dangerous Assumption

Posted in Reflections From My Heart by
Just Believe

Just Believe

Genesis 20:11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’

I want to just smack Abraham. Here is a prophet of God and he lies to Abimelech that Sarah is his sister. His rationale, “There is surely no fear of God in this place.” [This is where I would launch a good back hand across the back of his head.] So what Abraham – Isn’t that when God reveals himself? But Abraham is afraid that telling the truth could result in death so he chooses to lie instead?

What?! Like getting caught in a lie would guarantee his safety? As a result, Abraham made a dangerous assumption in Genesis 20.

I’m seeing a theme in Abraham’s life and I believe Abraham’s greatest fault is his disbelief in God. Yet, the single, most fundamental thing that God asks of us is to believe. That is a theme throughout the entire bible and is also God’s message to us. In Genesis, we see evidence of God’s heart for those who believe and then fast forward to the new testament and to sum it up in one verse, Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” Without belief in God, nothing else matters… NOTHING! From our own salvation to how we live out our lives in reverence to God as a [action] believer!

My message as I interpret what God is trying to tell me in Genesis 20 is to do a heart check on my belief. Do I believe God? Confession… I want too. Maybe I need a good smack to the head too. This should be a no-brainer, but this is where my story and Abraham’s are parallel. I am prone to do things as to how I ‘think’ they should be rather than believe God. I am unapologetic when I say that I believe IN God – It’s the simply “BELIEVING God” that I still need work. Therefore, I rest in His grace and appreciate biblical example’s, like Abraham, who are given to us to show that God is with us, even when we take matters into our own hands.