Warts and All

I have a common response to all who ask me how I am doing, most days I reply, “If I were any better there would have to be two of my and my wife would say, WOO HOO!” If the truth be known my wife's response would likely be something more like, “OH NO!” My wife has the patience of Job! She has the ability to accept or tolerate all the harassing, teasing and torments I hand out without getting angry or upset or at least she doesn't lash out at me, but I can tell by the expression on her face she is angry. I can be a bit of a trouble maker and that is putting it nicely. I am so grateful for the grace my wife extends to me. As I have grown older and more spiritually mature I have become more aware of the grace that is extended to me by God. Daily I sin and fall short of the glory of God. Grace is not something earned through good works or merit; it's a spontaneous gift, offered freely and unconditionally.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The Bible does not attempt to conceal the sins of those God choose to do his will. The people that adorn the pages of scripture made mistakes just like me! Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command and ate from the Tree of Knowledge, Cain murdered his brother, Noah got drunk and slept in the nude, Abraham and Isaac both lied about their wives, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed, Moses killed an Egyptian, Jonah disobeyed God's command and ran from Nineveh and Lots daughters got him drunk and had children with him. Despite their sins God still used these people.

Romans 3:23 ESV For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Let us face the fact, we came into the world with nothing, and we will leave it with nothing. Where do we get the notion that man’s idea of success and God’s are the same? You may have written a book and achieved some success. You may be a talented outdoors men and hunter. Maybe your a very successful farmer or maybe your good with your finances and have invested wisely and accumulated a great deal of money. Without the gifts of intelligence, imagination, personality, and physical energy, which are all endowed by God, where would you be? We are born poor and we die poor! We come into this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing. If we are anything, it is because God has blessed us with some talent or physical ability. Let's face it God doesn't need us! But he chooses to use us despite all our failures and sins to show his greatness. I once knew a person who told me, God can strike just as hard a lick with a crooked stick, and God knows I am a crooked stick. If God can use a lair, a drunk, an adultery and a murderer the he can use you and he can use me. God’s grace is amazing. His forgiveness knows no bounds. Whether you make one or one million bad choices, God will always take you back. He will always forgive you, because Jesus suffered the punishment for your sins on the cross. So if you mess up, admit it. Don’t let one bad choice lead to another. But also trust that no matter how hard you fall, no matter how low you sink, God’s grace for you knows no limits. Turn to him and find full and free forgiveness. 

1 John 1:9 ESV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

God accepts me warts and all! All I have, has been given to me by God's almighty hands. Forgive me when I tend to boast about my own accomplishments for I am nothing without Gods grace and love.