“…that I may know Him…” - Philippians 3:10
“We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy a quiet spiritual retreat. We are here to have the full realization of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of building His body. Am I building up the body of Christ, or am I only concerned about my own personal development? The essential thing is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To fulfill God’s perfect design for me requires my total surrender— complete abandonment of myself to Him. Whenever I only want things for myself, the relationship is distorted. And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
I met a guy while I was working on a house in Houston after Hurricane Harvey. He had come to measure for replacement windows. As it turned out, he owned the business. One of the first things you notice about this particular guy is that he is very strong .. Arnold Schwarzenegger strong. It is obvious that he spends a lot of time in the gym. Getting past that and the unspoken challenge to your own manhood, the next thing you notice is that he is very kind. As we talked, I learned that he was a man of faith and a Brother in Christ. When I posted a picture of us on Facebook someone commented about his biceps. That is because they are disproportionately large for his stature. But what you could not see on Facebook was the size of his heart and the depth of his faith in the Lord. Although he obviously was concerned about building up his body, He was more concerned about the Body of Christ. He told me that he would not charge anything for the windows or the labor - it was a gift for the homeowner. When I mentioned he might be recognized for it, he balked at the thought. Why? Because with his heart from God comes humility before God. It was a picture of Micah 6:8
“What does the Lord require of you, oh man? But to do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” - Micah 6:8
If we do anything for God then we should be ready to give all the credit to God. My new friend spoke a lot about God’s grace. Unmerited favor. He was shown grace in his life and was showing grace to others. Showing grace and mercy to others will cost you something .. but when your heart is right, it is a price you will gladly pay.
“No greater love has one man than this, but to lay down his life for his friends.” - John 15:13
That was not a simple act of benevolence .. it was a spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1-2).
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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