Our Sunday school class is going through Peace Making Women, a book from Peacemaker Ministries. The book is already impacting me greatly, so I'm going to blog about what I'm learning once a week both to share with you and help me process.
Here's the main thought for the week: "The ultimate relationship in our lives, our relationship with God, establishes our foundation for godly relationships with other and for peace wthin ourselves." --Tara Barthel and Judy Dabler
The essence of this chapter is that whatever we believe about God will be extended into our relationships with others. We have to build a scriptural foundation of correct belief about God to have correct interactions with friends, family, coworkers, etc.
I had a pastor who said that people fall into 2 groups. You are either a "do-er" or a "be-er". Which are you? I am definitively a "do-er". No doubt. In fact, on one mission trip I earned the nickname "Action Amy" ( my co-leader was "Praying Pam"). Let's just say that my nickname may not have been entirely complimentary.
While it's important to put our faith into action, being a do-er has a definite downside. When I am actively serving God and "on the right track", I feel good. I feel loved by God and close to Him. But when I'm struggling either with sin or finding a place to serve, I feel far from God and I begin to feel unloved.
Is it true that God is far from me and that I'm unloved when my actions don't meet His standard (or sometimes just my own standard)? No. Scripture tells me that as His child I'm holy and dearly loved. It tells me that God never leaves me or forsakes me.
I have trouble with grace. I long for it but find it hard to accept. Here's the problem as defined by the book, if I believe that God extends grace to me despite the fact that I could never earn it, then I will freely extend grace to others. If I believe that I have to work to earn God's grace, then I will expect others to work to earn my grace.
I've been pondering these facts all week and crying out to God for a deeper understanding of His love for me and delight in me. I want to trust His grace even when I don't "feel" like I deserve it. In return, I want to be a lavish extender of grace to others as an example of the grace and love that's been lavished on me.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Peace with God
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5 comments:
Amy, I so fit in this "do-er" category and struggle to show grace to others. I was nodding my head yes throughout your whole post. You are not alone, girlfriend! I obviously need to find that book and read it along with you. I can't wait to hear your thoughts about your journey as your post on your blog. It sure does help to know I'm not alone . . . .
Sweet Blessings,
Pam
Oh I am a "be-er". I sit and listen. I encourage and help from the sidelines. I am not one to go in the front and get things done. I observe and wait.
There are Martha's and Mary's.
It is good to know which one we follow. My husband is a "do-er" which is great because alot gets done and planned. I go for the ride.
Thanks for posting this. I am ddfinately a doer as well. I find it hard to sit still and relax when there's just so much to be done. My husband is the complete opposite-he's just an easy going guy. Sometimes this annoys me and sometimes I appreciate it! :)
When you stated, Here's the problem as defined by the book, if I believe that God extends grace to me despite the fact that I could never earn it, then I will freely extend grace to others. If I believe that I have to work to earn God's grace, then I will expect others to work to earn my grace, my heart leaped and I wondered if I did that. Do I make people feel they have to earn grace from me? I don't want to be that person!
Thank you for making me pause this morning during my quiet time and reflect on who I am in Him. Your blog is a blessing.
Blessings,
Kendra
Visit my blog, A Busy Woman's Life at http://www.abusywomanslife.com
Oh my - that has been my exact cry to God recently - I so long to be an overflow of God's grace to others! How ironic that I freely accepted God's grace for salvation - but struggle with accepting his grace in my day to day Christian walk....feeling as if I must earn his love.
Amy, as I read this post, I kept nodding and reading myself into your statements. Especially this one:
"When I am actively serving God and "on the right track", I feel good. I feel loved by God and close to Him. But when I'm struggling either with sin or finding a place to serve, I feel far from God and I begin to feel unloved."
I understand that well. Especially when I am not showing love to someone I struggle being around. I feel during that whole time I should be showing love that I can't possibly be loved because of my feelings or actions. Yet here, I've found that if I focus wholly on sharing Christ's love (rather than on myself, which I so easily do!) then I can renew my heart to what's at hand.
You know, I struggle with receiving (and sometimes giving) grace, too. But grace is also one of the most beautiful and powerful things God gives. I think that's why it's so easy for me to struggle with it. I can never deserve it, yet I feel that I am supposed to work for it. But if I deserved it (could earn it), then it wouldn't be grace at all, since grace is defined by its undeserved nature.
Thank you for sharing what you're studying! I can't wait to read more. This topic would be such a great sit-at-the-coffee-house-and-talk one!
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