We can't blame anyone else

“Spiritual growth is not an accident. It is intentional. You must intend to grow. You must make a choice to grow. You are as close to Jesus Christ as you choose to be. If you are not growing spiritually don’t blame your wife or husband or kids or parents or pastor. You are as close to God as you choose to be.” - Stephen Sheane

Our spiritual growth is surely our decision to pursue or not. I feel that we can't blame other people for our shortcomings, especially if we don't take our faith seriously. We each need to count the cost of following Christ. 

As we get closer to Lent, I think it is worthwhile reflecting on what we can do to grow in our faith.

"Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do." - Psalm 1:1-3

What do you think?

Living in Grace

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Consider the birds

Following on from yesterday's post, where we spoke about being focused on Jesus, we take note of another place in the Bible, where this word is used. The writer to the Hebrews made use of the word 'katanoein', which is the same word Jesus used when he spoke to his followers:

"Think about the ravens! They neither plant nor harvest, they have neither storerooms nor barns, yet God feeds them. You are worth much more than the birds!" - Luke 12: 24

This is a call for us to do more than simply allow our brains to tick over, but rather it is a challenge to 'look and learn.' It is an invitation to 'consider' the example of the ravens or to be focused on what God does for them. Once we have done this exercise we will learn another spiritual insight, which will help us move forward in our faith.

Action: Are you able to find 2 minutes to 'consider the birds of the air' and to reflect on what this says to you about God's love for all of us?

Living in Grace

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Filling our horizon

"No believer can cope with adversity unless Christ fills our horizons, our priorities and dominates our experience." - Raymond Brown

I think that these words are so profound and make sense to all who have ever encountered adversity. When troubles come our way (which they always do) the usual temptation is to fill our view with the largeness of the trial, instead of allowing Jesus to fill our horizons. 

2 Corinthians 4:18 - So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Hebrews 12:2 - We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Question: How can we allow Christ to 'fill our horizons' and to help us overcome the adversity in our lives?

Living in Grace

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Watch where you are walking

When you are out walking or running it is important to make sure you are watching where you are going. This is not just in terms of your overall direction, but also to be aware of where you place your feet. It may seem like a simple process to follow, but it can be so tricky at times. If you look too far into the distance you can step into a hole or catch your foot on a rock. It takes skill to keep both the distance, and the path, firmly in your eyesight. 

Is this perhaps what the writer of Proverbs 4 is suggesting?

"Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil." - Proverbs 4:25-27

Thought: How are you managing with your spiritual walk at the moment? Are you perhaps looking too far into the distance and missing the individual steps you need to take right now? OR, is your vision so consumed with a small step in front, that you have forgotten to look to where you are heading?

Living in Grace

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A prayer for the start of a new week

As you begin the new week, I wanted to offer you a beautiful prayer to help you in your plans and preparations. May it be a blessing to you.

“O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins,

and mercifully kindle in me the fire of Your Holy Spirit.

Take away from me the heart of stone,

and give me a heart of flesh,

a heart to love and adore You,

a heart to delight in You,

to follow and to enjoy You,

for Christ’s sake.” - St Ambrose of Milan, 337-397 AD

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh." - Ezekiel 11:19

Living in grace

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Dealing with distractions this Holy Season

As we embark upon this sacred season of Holy Week, there are many things that threaten to distract us from doing the most important of our tasks. And for any believer, the most important task we should be doing at this time of the year, is to worship Jesus. 

Period! 

No question about it!

So, what is stopping you from setting meaningful time aside to worship Jesus? How can you realistically cut out these distractions for a week or so? To try and help us get the ball rolling, here are some words from Meister Eckhart.

“Some people prefer solitude. They say their peace of mind depends on this. 

Others say they would be better off in church.
If you do well, you do well wherever you are. 

If you fail, you fail wherever you are.
Your surroundings don't matter. God is with you everywhere - in the marketplace as well as in seclusion or in the church.
If you look for nothing but God, nothing or no one can disturb you.
God is not distracted by a multitude of things.
Nor can we be.” - Meister Eckhart

Jesus says it best, when he speaks to Martha (Luke 10:40-42):

"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Living in Grace

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Tuesdays with Morrie

I have just finished re-reading Mitch Albom's classic, Tuesdays with Morrie. In this moving story, Mitch connects with his old University professor, Morrie Schwartz, who is slowly dying with Lou Gerig's disease. As they meet together for these remarkable conversations, Mitch discovers so much more about life, death and everything in-between. 

As one reads deeper into the book, you also begin to wrestle with the bigger questions of life and how one can live a meaningful life.

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” - Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie

Colossians 1:10 - "so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."

Living in Grace

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Fixing your eyes

 

If we want to walk in straight line (relatively) it is best to have a fixed point to aim towards. The temptation to go off course is great, unless we can keep our eyes on this point. 

“No ploughman ever ploughed a straight furrow looking back over his shoulder.” (William Barclay)

As we walk into the future may we keep our eyes on Jesus - he is the best 'fixed' point we could ever as for.

Hebrews 12:2 - "... fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Living in Grace

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Word for the month .... and maybe the whole year!

I stumbled across this profound Scripture during the week, and I think that this will be my 'Word' for the rest of January, and maybe even for the rest of 2024. I share it with you and pray that it may also encourage you:

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” – Isaiah 42:16

It spoke to me in a number of ways:

1. It reminded me that God will lead me, even along unfamiliar paths. There will be plenty of those during this year, I am sure of it!

2. Christ will shine a light on the path and will help me to walk on the uneven paths. The rocky trails will seem a lot smoother, if I learn to walk with Jesus.

3. Jesus will not forsake me. 

May you have a blessed week.

Living in Grace

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The day most people quit!

In a recent blog post by Jon Acuff I was astounded to discover that the 2nd Friday of January is known as Quitter's Day. According to the fitness app Strava, who analyzed over 800 million exercise downloads, it appears that most people quit their fitness goals within 2 weeks of the New Year. 

I can't vouch for the information, but I guess I can understand that many people can't follow through with their best intentions. So, what makes the difference in the lives of those who persevere? Is it just sheer grit, determination, or something more?

As we venture into the heart of 2024 in our Spiritual lives, what will help us not to quit? I don't believe it is just sheer will power that keeps us holding onto our faith; nor can it only be my determination. It has to include something deeper, surely? 

I wonder if it hasn't got something to do with community (small group or Church), encouraging us along the way? And of course, believing in the end goal! Fixing our eyes on Jesus - the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12).

What would you say keeps you going? 

What has helped you in the past?

Let me know your thoughts please.

Living in Grace

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What are you leaning on as you begin 2024?

The New Year is already a few days in and many of us are starting to grasp the reality of the challenges that lie ahead. As we grapple with the difficulties of life, I have been asking myself, what am I leaning on, as I face these inevitable hurdles? Or perhaps the question should be phased: Who are we leaning on? 

I pray that we would make the firm choice to lean on the mercy and grace of Jesus, as we begin each day. 

He is all that we need to face the year ahead.

Proverbs 3:5 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."

Song of Songs 8:5 - "Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?

Living in Grace

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Carry on until the end

Sir Francis Drake wrote a prayer that may be helpful for you today:

"O Lord God, when thou givest to thy servants to endeavour any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, which yields the true glory: through him who for the finishing of thy work laid down his life, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen."

Philippians 1:6 - "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

The hardest part is not always beginning something, but rather having the courage to carry on until the end. 

Living in grace

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The secret of success is ....

Benjamin Disraeli once remarked: "The secret of success is constancy of purpose." 

I believe he has a point in many aspects of life, and we saw part of this in the Springboks recent World Cup Rugby victory. When a team (or individual) pushes forward with one purpose in mind, there is greater chance of success. The more the purpose is thwarted or watered-down, the less likely that the result will be successful.

I would argue that this can also apply to faith, although I wary of the word 'success' when it comes to ministry and Christianity. Jesus certainly had a consistency and singlemindedness, that motivated him to change the lives of his disciples and all that met him. He poured his life into the lives of others and drew them into the heart of the Father.

What purpose is motivating you at the moment? Are you able to keep your eye on the main focus?

Joshua 1:7 - “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

Living in Grace

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Keep moving forward

As one takes a deeper look at the familiar story of the Israelites heading towards the Promised Land, we notice something interesting:

"After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." - Exodus 13

It only occurred to me now, why God used the pillar of fire to lead the Israelites. God wanted them to keep moving forward, and to put distance between themselves and the chasing Egyptians. It probably seemed a natural thing for them to rest at night and to only travel by day, but this would have been too dangerous for them, so God told them to walk in the dark. 

Obviously, God is not suggesting that we don't sleep at night, but I do think there is something profound about the idea of us 'moving forward', despite the darkness that may hamper our journey. Is it possible that in a time of despair we are tempted to stop? To give up? Could God be nudging us onward and promising to shine a light for us?

What do you think?

Living in Grace

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Old habits die hard

The phrase 'Old Habits Die Hard' is an expression that has remained in common use for many centuries. There is a lot of debate as to who initially coined the phrase, with some people giving Benjamin Franklin the honour, as he wrote the words in a published article in 1758. Others claim that it may have been in use as early as the fifteenth century, but there is no concrete proof of this.

Anyway, regardless of its origins, we all understand it's meaning: Any established habits are hard to break. 

It is interesting that if I asked us if this phrase was used in a positive or negative context, most of us would lean towards the negative. I certainly relate this expression to the bad habits that I have a tendency to keep repeating - these old habits are hard to shake off and change. 

However, what if we took the expression solely in a positive perspective? The good habits that we have created over time (that are now viewed as old or established) are equally hard to break. They will not easily die off, if we keep nurturing them.

As we start 2023, I feel it is good practise to reflect on all our habits - both healthy and destructive - and to ask God to help us with each of these. The healthy habits need to be maintained, but the destructive ones need courage to quit or to change. 

Proverbs 18:9 - "Slack habits and sloppy work are as bad as vandalism." (The Message)

Questions:

1. What healthy habits do you need to feed and grow this year?
2. What destructive habits must you stop?
3. What new habits can you create, that will become 'old' and resilient habits for future years?

Living in Grace

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Importance

Philosophers could argue over the question of 'importance' and never really come up with a solid answer. 

What is important for you, may not be important for me. 

Who is important for me, may not even appear on your radar. 

Sadly, sometimes the church gets caught up in side-issues; things that are not as important the gospel. Political parties make a habit of losing focus and becoming distracted. Families can be the same and even schools and other communities. 

Staying focused is hard, but important!

"I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said." - 1 Corinthians 15:3

"It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow." - 1 Corinthians 3:7

Living in Grace

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No accidental progress

"A true and faithful Christian does not make holy living an accidental thing. It is his great concern. As the business of the soldier is to fight, so the business of the Christian is to be like Christ." - Jonathan Edwards

The first thing that struck me about this quote is that following Jesus can't be an 'accidental thing'. We don't become more and more like Jesus by some random chain of events. We become more like Christ, by imitating the ways of Jesus. 

Of course, one of the keys to holy living is to spend time in the sacred scriptures. It is these words that offer us direction, wisdom, grace and Life.

Hebrews 12:11 - No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

What can you do to be more intentional about following Jesus?

Living in Grace

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God's purpose fulfilled

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. The LORD will fulfil his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. (Psalm 138:6-8)

When the Psalmist remembers the favour of God, he is adamant that the Lord will fulfil his purpose in his life. He even goes on to plead with the Lord not to forsake the 'work of his hands.' 

Do you still believe that the Lord has a purpose for your life? What is that purpose and how are you allowing God to work in your life?

How does the last line of the reading make you feel?

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Living in Grace

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Don't let them out of your sight

"My child, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
preserve sound judgment and discretion;

they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble.
When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." - Proverbs 3:21-24

What things of value do you try and keen within your sight? 

Is wisdom and understanding on that list?

I find it interesting that Proverbs teaches us that we will sleep soundly when we start by keeping wisdom and understanding close at hand. There is a lot of truth in this.

"A man only becomes wise when he begins to calculate the approximate depth of his ignorance." - Gian Carlo Manotti

Living in Grace

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Perfect Peace

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." - Isaiah 26:3-4

As we reflect on this scripture, we are reminded to keep our minds focussed (steadfast) on the Lord. This implies that when we are prone to let our minds wander, or the stress of life causes us to be 'all over the place', that we then choose to fix our eyes on Christ. Once we have developed this habit, we will begin to know the perfect peace that God offers us.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you offer to be my steadfast rock and firm foundation. Forgive me for the times that I forfeit your Peace by refusing to trust in your plan.

"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." - Unknown

Living in Grace

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