Grace

I decided I needed to get back on the wagon with a few things as 2011 rolled in and at the forefront was church. Now I am a FIRM believer that the amount one attends the church of their choosing does NOT define the "level" of a Christian they are, but for me, church is important and I let it slide BIG TIME over the last few months. Although I was not necessarily jazzed about attending church yesterday since the lead pastor would not be speaking I knew that I needed to go. I needed a spiritual uplift and just because my favorite speaker wasn't going to be there didn't mean I couldn't gain something from the service.

The pastor was a little blah for me, definitely a traditional Lutheran kind of guy but when he began talking on the topic of grace I began to listen a bit more closely. I think it's funny how I use words and often don't really know their meanings. Sometimes my context is correct but if you know me at all I often throw around the wrong words thinking they are correct. Grace in theology has several different meanings, this includes the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God as well as the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them. Grace can also be a virtue or excellence of divine origin and finally grace can be a state or, the condition of being in God's favor or one of the elect.

I really zoned in on the second part of grace, looking at it as the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them. Wow. That's pretty big stuff. I often forget that God works in me and through me. I'll admit I see God as this mythical creature floating above the earth with a clipboard taking notes on my life. Am I passing? Crap, there's another mistake. Is this good enough? But that is the wrong approach! Every day God is working IN me, He is shaping me and leading me and I just need to listen and act with His grace. Yes, I will stumble, a lot. Yes, I will make choices that lead me in directions that pull me away from God and bring me back in, but every day He loves me for me. Every day God strengthens me and picks me up letting me know my mistakes will be forgiven and that is an awesome feeling. Grace is going to be my focus for this week. Am I open to God's grace? Am I giving grace to those around me? Definitely food for thought.

As always I took something away from the service and I was surrounded by good company so that never hurts :) I also am considering taking the Alpha course at Hope, a course in the basics of Christianity, never hurts to be reminded of what you believe in right?