SALTY GRACE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“You’d be surprised how powerful kindness actually is. I am not being dramatic: you can save hearts and lives with grace. Do” ― Jen Hatmaker

Kindness and grace for sure with equal parts truth.

I am often asked “what can I do to help”.  And much like Hatmaker says, without being dramatic, it is as simple as showing grace seasoned with truth.

Yesterday was one of those days when I know I needed truth-laced grace and thankfully those around me, those I intersected, those I worked with extended it to me.

They did it in simple ways.

One example was my friend Tim from Summit County who following our conference call asked, “What can I be praying for you this week?”  And that in turn spurred me to do the same for him.  It served as a powerful reminder that apart from Christ all our planning, coordinating, and discussion was mute.  

He shared grace for me bathed in truth.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt...Colossians 4:6 (ESV)

I really like that passage.

It encourages us to operate from a position of grace but it also encourages us to operate from a position of truth; that is that salt part.

“You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus said. “But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything” (Matthew 5:13 (NIV)

We are daily given opportunities to SPEAK and DO with grace and truth.  And followers of Jesus should always be about the business of seeking the best in others and offering truth as encouragement and as the guide.

So, brings us back to that often-asked question, “What can I do?” 

Start here:

Be sensitive to your surroundings.

Be ready with a good word from GOD’s WORD.

Extend kindness.

Seek to administer grace without compromising truth.

Never forget we are called through our words and our actions to make known the One who was a friend of sinners and the transformer of lives.

And when we are diligent to combine both compassion for people and a passion for truth, GOD IS FAITHFUL TO open the doors as to what we ARE TO DO!

Remember: 

People today should only have to look at us to see what Jesus is like.  For better or worse, they’ll draw conclusions about Christ from what they see in us.  If we fail the grace test, we fail to be Christlike.  If we fail the truth test, we fail to be Christlike.  If we pass both tests, we’re like Jesus.” - Alcorn

And at the end of the day, THAT is what we are to DO.

Have a great day!

I love you all

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE