Did you ever stop to think about how much the word 'grace' means to us? I'm ever so thankful for it and wish that I could be successful in showing grace to others on a daily basis. But like so many other things, I often fail.
Spent a lot if time reading and trying to figure out some issues that have been on my mind lately. Sometimes I feel so dumb!
What happens when God puts us in a certain place at a certain time and opens a door for us? What if we don't go through? What if we go through but mess up the reason He opened the door in the first place? What if we really want the opportunity that He's given us but don't know how to take advantage of it? What if the door leads us to another person and they don't see the opportunity or don't want it in the same way we do? Or if they look to us for leadership and feed off of our actions or lack of and get discouraged, closing the door before they should? What if we blow it?
If we really believe God has led us to that place and He is handing us a gift on a silver platter, don't you think He'll give us the things we need to be able to take that gift and use it to His glory? Maybe he's waiting for us to ask for His help. Or, maybe He wants us to figure things out for ourselves. Sometimes the answer is just common sense. Sometimes its thinking about others before we think of ourselves. Or what they need in order to see what God has given them through us. Or what God has given us that we can offer to someone else. And why they would want what we have to give.
But if He's going to leave us high and dry without the means to carry out the plan He's put before us, what's the point? Do you think He'd waste His time in all that prep just to let it fail?
Or is the failure our own fault for not making choices but just letting things fall out however they do without taking responsibility for making the very best of the gift He's given us? Do we just wait on Him to put everything in place for us or do we prayerfully go after the opportunity with all our heart, soul and might? Don't you think He expects us to do our part and make decisions based on the desires of our heart in light of His love and His Word? Maybe that's what it all comes down to...how far are we willing to go after a God given opportunity? How much are we willing to do to bring it to fruition? Or are we just waiting on Him to take what's on the platter and put it in our hands for us before we can really take advantage of it?
Perhaps I should clarify that I'm only talking about things that don't conflict with God's Word. We know that those opportunities don't come from the God of heaven. James tell us that God cannot be tempted and does not tempt us.
So once we're sure that the thing we see as an opportunity comes from the Lord, what's stopping us from going after it? Our own fears and inhibitions. Conflicting desires. How do we choose? Is it worth the loss to allow our inhibitions or lack of experience to prevent us from living in the gift God has given us? It's a shame.
There's no guarantee that things will work out just the way we want them to but we know He's there for us...all the time.
Spent a lot if time reading and trying to figure out some issues that have been on my mind lately. Sometimes I feel so dumb!
What happens when God puts us in a certain place at a certain time and opens a door for us? What if we don't go through? What if we go through but mess up the reason He opened the door in the first place? What if we really want the opportunity that He's given us but don't know how to take advantage of it? What if the door leads us to another person and they don't see the opportunity or don't want it in the same way we do? Or if they look to us for leadership and feed off of our actions or lack of and get discouraged, closing the door before they should? What if we blow it?
If we really believe God has led us to that place and He is handing us a gift on a silver platter, don't you think He'll give us the things we need to be able to take that gift and use it to His glory? Maybe he's waiting for us to ask for His help. Or, maybe He wants us to figure things out for ourselves. Sometimes the answer is just common sense. Sometimes its thinking about others before we think of ourselves. Or what they need in order to see what God has given them through us. Or what God has given us that we can offer to someone else. And why they would want what we have to give.
But if He's going to leave us high and dry without the means to carry out the plan He's put before us, what's the point? Do you think He'd waste His time in all that prep just to let it fail?
Or is the failure our own fault for not making choices but just letting things fall out however they do without taking responsibility for making the very best of the gift He's given us? Do we just wait on Him to put everything in place for us or do we prayerfully go after the opportunity with all our heart, soul and might? Don't you think He expects us to do our part and make decisions based on the desires of our heart in light of His love and His Word? Maybe that's what it all comes down to...how far are we willing to go after a God given opportunity? How much are we willing to do to bring it to fruition? Or are we just waiting on Him to take what's on the platter and put it in our hands for us before we can really take advantage of it?
Perhaps I should clarify that I'm only talking about things that don't conflict with God's Word. We know that those opportunities don't come from the God of heaven. James tell us that God cannot be tempted and does not tempt us.
So once we're sure that the thing we see as an opportunity comes from the Lord, what's stopping us from going after it? Our own fears and inhibitions. Conflicting desires. How do we choose? Is it worth the loss to allow our inhibitions or lack of experience to prevent us from living in the gift God has given us? It's a shame.
There's no guarantee that things will work out just the way we want them to but we know He's there for us...all the time.
