Tell Him So

Poet Unknown

If you hear a kind word spoken

Of some worthy soul you know,

It may fill his heart with sunshine

If you only tell him so.

If a deed, however humble,

Helps you on your way to go,

Seek the one whose hand has helped you,

Seek him out and tell him so!

If your heart is touched and tender

Toward a sinner lost and low,

It might help him to do better

If you'd only tell him so.

Oh, my sisters, oh, my brothers,

As o'er life's rough path you go,

If God's love has saved and kept you,

Do not fail to tell men so!

I was just thinking about this poem and how much room I have for improvement in this area. There is so much good that we can do by simply speaking the right word at the right moment. 

Lord, help me to advance your kingdom as I use my words to glorify You and edify others!

Working for Grace

 "I just need enough grace till I can get my act together..."

No sooner had those words left my mouth than I realized that I had a really faulty concept of grace.  Let me rephrase that:  I knew the definition of grace, but it hadn't penetrated my reality.  So I decided to reflect a little bit on that statement and its implications.

God's Grace

The Bible clearly portrays grace as a free gift, no strings attached... unless you want to count the step of accepting His grace, which sometimes is the hardest part.  A quick study of this concept of grace yielded these results (I understand that this is just a brief glimpse as truly the entire Bible is filled with the story of God's grace!):

Right after the famous "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" verse in Romans 3:23, the writer goes on to say "and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

"And if [God's people are chosen] by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."  Rom. 11:6

" I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"  Gal. 2:21

And of course the famous Eph. 2:8-9:  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast."

The Rub

So if I know what the Bible says about grace, where did I get an idea that I had to earn grace?  The problem is, we humans are so used to conditional grace.  Forgiving someone who sins against us 7 times.  The people in our lives have a certain number of chances to get their act together and if they fail, they're done.  Lives used up.  You lose.  People must show that they are making a good effort.  Each year must be better than the next.  Constant improvement and productivity is the standard.  And unfortunately, the standard that we require of others is one that we are incapable of sustaining ourselves.

Implications

The Bible speaks about this dichotomy of needing grace but refusing it to others.  And it's not pretty. Matt 6:14-15:  "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."  In other words, don't hold people to a standard that you wouldn't want God to apply to you.

A Sanctified Perspective on To-Do Lists

My to-do list sometimes looks like sheer torture... other times they're about as exciting as watching paint dry.   Whatever the case, I generally cringe when I think about it.  And I would imagine that it's the same for you.  When was the last time you looked at your to-do list and thought, "Boy, this is gonna be fun!"  or "What an awesome day I have in store for me!" or "I wish that these 20 tasks weren't the only things I get to do today... maybe I can think up more!"?  The truth is, sometimes it takes all of our strength to just plow through our to-do lists.

However, lately God has been teaching me an important lesson about the tasks He has given me for each day:  I am to do them joyfully, as working to the Lord, not for men (Col. 3:23) and to do anything I do for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).  As I keep these verses in mind, it has challenged me to be praying throughout the day that God would give me a correct perspective and a cheerful attitude as I do tasks that at best might seem mundane and at worst downright difficult.  And the crazy thing is, that doesn't change my tasks at all, but it changes my attitude!  And God gives me the strength to complete what I have before me each day... for His glory!

Here's a great song for getting pumped up in the morning to hit that to-do list.  Do Everything:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEqdDdvFXZ0

If you're liked this post, here are some other blog posts/resources that would also be an encouragement:
The poem "If"  http://carodeemer.blogspot.com/2011/04/if.html
Book review of Do Hard Things:  http://carodeemer.blogspot.com/2010/08/do-hard-things.html