IRRESVERSIBLE ADOPTION

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.

“To live as God’s child is to know, at this very instant, that you are loved by your Maker not because you try to please him and succeed, or fail to please him and apologize, but because he wants to be your Father. Nothing more. All your efforts to win his affection are unnecessary. All your fears of losing his affection are needless. You can no more make him want you than you can convince him to abandon you. The adoption is irreversible. You have a place at his table.”

This is an anonymous quote extracted from Max Lucado’s book, Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine

Some of Max’s critics say this book goes a “little overboard” on the grace thing.  But to be frank, I am happy for the perceived over-indulgence for I know I NEED all the grace I can get.

As many of you know I grew up in a church where PERFORMANCE was PARAMOUNT.  EVERYDAY there was a scorecard.   

Cuss – a mark in the “L” column.

Pray – a mark in the “W” column.

Drink – a BIG RED MARK in the “L” column. That was going to take a few weightier prayers or good deeds to fix that one.  Spend a little too much time on the computer or club leering, well those “L” not only were HUGE but they accumulated and came with severe judgment. 

And given my desire to overachieve, when the “L”’s started to MOUNT, I began to believe I couldn’t get out of the hole and to be honest, cashed out for a minute.

And it wasn’t until someone “re-educated” me about grace that things began to change for me.  It is why I especially like this little quote above.

God’s grace was for me because He is my Dad and He loves me. 

Period.

Nothing we did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the gracious gift from God that brought us to Christ!  So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving. – Ephesians 2:8-9 (TPT)

Whew!  Big whew!

And no, this gift didn’t and doesn't give me license to stay in my mess, but it did OFFER ME THE ENERGY, HOPE, PROMISE and POSSIBILITY that I could emerge from it.

Suddenly my striving to please Him was and is no longer motivated by desperation but rather love and gratitude.  My mistakes, which are many and often, weren’t being tabulated for condemnation (Romans 8:1) but could rather be used to re-calibrate me and refine me.

All my fears of losing his affection were needless. All the prayers in the world as our author explains wouldn’t make Him want me more nor could all my sins which are plenty can convince Him to abandon me.

don’t be frightened, because the Lord your God will go with you. He will not leave you or forget you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6 (NCV)

Perhaps you are like I am today feeling a little “unworthy”, feeling a little “less than”. 

Let’s both relax.

Before we go straight to striving, let’s settle down and take our seat at the table and embrace a hearty helping of grace.  

That more than anything will get us and keep us both on track!

Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely – Matthew 11:28 (MSG)

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

LOVE YOU ALL

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE