My life is literally messy right now.

  • My long dreamed of remodeling project is underway.
  • There is fine dust everywhere.
  • It resists cleaning.
  • Somehow my dream didn’t include mess.
  • Kind of like my dream of marriage didn’t include bills.
  • My dream of motherhood didn’t include sleepless nights.

It isn’t just my house that’s under construction. There’s a spiritual remodeling of my heart and mind, too. Reality often jolts my expectations in the physical realm. In the past 12 months several sermons have rocked my spiritual world. I’m questioning my behavior and my assumptions.

When I accepted Jesus, I escaped from the “Good Enough” pseudo Christianity. The one where I thought since I’d avoided most of the Big Sins, I was good enough to get into heaven. There is no good enough compared to the goodness of God.

But I think I may have slipped into the “Working to Gain God’s Favor” alternative to the grace of Christianity.

  • The one where I think I can earn points with God by my work.
  • The one that the Apostle Paul rebuked in Ephesians 2:8-10:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

I’m reading the book of Job right now, which fits my contemplation. I’ve read it before. I’ve wondered why God would allow such awful things to happen to a basically good man. But, this time, I’m seeing what a proud, self-righteous little prig Job is.

  • In all of his protests against accusations of his “friends,” he is pretty smug.
  • He wants to go have a good talk with God, face to face, and argue that he has done right by God, so why hasn’t God done right by him.
  • Job believes he’s earned God’s favor and blessing.

He is reasonably provoked by the non-comfort his friends offer. But he is as blind to the truth of our relationship with God as they are.

Job claims he is righteous (Job 27:2-6 & 29:14-25). But, the Bible tells us:

  • “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)
  • “There is no one righteous, not even one,” (Romans 3:10)
  • “there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:3)
  • “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

And so I wonder, have I also forgotten? Have I begun to think I can earn God’s favor? The Bible clearly says that our relationship with God is like a parent to a small child or like a sheep to a shepherd. Everything is provided. We only need to:

  • trust
  • ask
  • receive

God delights in us because he created us. Through Jesus, God adopted us into his royal family.

  • We didn’t do anything to earn God’s favor anymore than a newborn baby has to earn our favor.
  • We just receive it, like our children receive from us.
  • We only have to say, “yes”.
  • We only have to lay down our desire to control everything,
  • Including ourselves
  • And God,
  • Every single day.

Easy?

  • Only when we admit we can’t do it on our own.
  • Only when we admit that God is our creator
  • Only when we admit that we need a redeemer
  • Only when we are humble enough to see that God’s way is better than our way

Yeah. It’s hard. Really hard. Ever seen a child throw a temper tantrum? A child caught up in demanding their own way has a hard time seeing that the parent really does know best. It’s a lesson most children need to learn over and over again.

Just like us. God does know what’s best. Once we admit that, it becomes easy,

Until tomorrow when we have to do it again.

My prayer this Advent season is humble acceptance:

  • Christ gave himself up for me.
  • I need to give myself up for him.
  • All of me and all of you are the only gifts He wants.
  • It is his birthday we are celebrating.

Your comments are welcome!