Warts and all

When Peter Lely was commissioned to paint the portrait of Oliver Cromwell, he must have been tempted to flatter his famous subject. As was custom, artists were often ordered to paint their subjects in a good light, covering up any blemishes and so on. However, Peter Lely was ordered by Cromwell to paint him as he was - warts and all. This is apparently what Cromwell said:

“I desire you would use all your skill to paint your picture truly like me… but remark all these roughness, pimples, warts and everything as you see me. Otherwise, I will never pay a farthing for it.”

I can't account for the full character of Oliver Cromwell, but his attitude in this incident does seem refreshing. So often we want people to like us for who we pretend to be, instead of for who were truly are.

Thankfully God loves us with all our warts, and he invites us to part of his family, regardless of what we look like.

Thought: When we spend time with the Lord are we comfortable to come with all our warts, or do we just offer our pretense?

Living in Grace

D3LM3 

Understanding and wisdom

"Bestow upon me, O Lord my God, 

understanding to know thee,

diligence to seek thee, 

wisdom to find thee,
and a faithfulness that may finally embrace thee." - Thomas Aquinas

"For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom. Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding. “I, Wisdom, will make the hours of your day more profitable and the years of your life more fruitful.” Wisdom is its own reward, and if you scorn her, you hurt only yourself." - Proverbs 9

Living in Grace

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There is always a FIRST step.

There is always going to be a first step!

When we were infants crawling on the floor, our families encouraged us to make the first step. And when we did, their delighted whoops inspired us to take another step. Slowly, but surely, we got more steady on our tiny legs, and eventually we couldn't stop moving.

It is the same with most things in life, and even so with our faith. We must always start with a first step and when we succeed in that action, so the other steps flow from this momentum. The writer of Proverbs suggests that if we want to live godly lives, we should listen to Wisdom and live out the principles of faith. However, there is a crucial first step. Read what he says:

1 These are the proverbs of King Solomon of Israel, David’s son:

2 He wrote them to teach his people how to live—how to act in every circumstance, 3 for he wanted them to be understanding, just, and fair in everything they did. 4 “I want to make the simpleminded wise!” he said. “I want to warn young men about some problems they will face. 5-6 I want those already wise to become wiser and become leaders by exploring the depths of meaning in these nuggets of truth.”

7-9 How does a man become wise? The first step is to trust and reverence the Lord! (Proverbs 1)

Thought: What is your first step going to be today?

Living in Grace

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Don't think you know it all

"Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!" - Romans 12:16

These words of Paul remind us to be humble and to acknowledge our own shortcomings. There are always opportunities to take the negative view on things, but likewise, there are many chances to build up others. Here is a timely prayer from William Barclay to help us begin this journey.

"O Father, give us the humility which
Realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes,
Recognizes its need, welcomes advice,
Accepts rebuke.

Help us always...
To praise rather than to criticize,
To sympathize rather than to condemn,
To encourage rather than to discourage,
To build rather than to destroy,
and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst." - William Barclay

Living in Grace

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Grant me, O Lord

Thomas a Kempis was someone who prayed bold prayers. His life was a witness to Jesus, and he left an incredible legacy in his book The Imitation of Christ. Here is one of his prayers:

"Grant me, O Lord,
To know what is worth knowing
To love what is worth loving
To praise what delights you most
To value what is precious in your sight
To hate what is offensive to you.
May I search out and do what pleases you, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Psalm 17:1 - O Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Standing in the need of prayer

"It’s me, It’s me oh Lord
I’m standing in the need
(I am standing in the need of prayer)
In the need of prayer
It is me
It’s me oh Lord
(I am standing in the need of prayer) I’m standing in the need
Of prayer" - John Kee

This old-time spiritual song reminds us that we can bring our lives and hearts to the Lord. God is always ready to listen to our prayers.

Romans 1:9 - God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

Living in Grace

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Treat others as we would want to be treated

As South Africans wait for the 30th of June with great anxiety, it is important for followers of Jesus to remember the words of our Saviour: "Love your neighbour as yourself." (Luke 10). Elsewhere in Luke's gospel we read how Jesus said: "Do to others as you would like them to do to you" (Luke 6). 

So, if I was an illegal immigrant, or a legitimate refugee, how would I want others to treat me? If I was living in fear of my life or that of my family, what measures would I take, in order to care for them? These are such powerful questions to reflect on, and I am not sure I have a glib answer for them. 

Profoundly, I believe that Jesus stands with the most vulnerable and the desperate, because his lived reality included a time of being homeless and also living as a refugee. His family found hope in another land, cared for by foreigners, until they were able to safely return home. 

"Even if our own troubles are great, we should still serve. Jesus washed His disciples' feet on the way to the cross." - Tim Keller

"Jesus experienced homelessness at Christmas so that we could experience a love we could never lose."

Living in Grace

D3LM3