Thursday, February 12, 2009

Faith&Grace

I've been thinking a lot lately about faith.

not just a cute little quaint and saint-ish Christianized "faith" but deep, real, passionate FAITH that moves mountains and changes circumstance. The difference to me is the value I place on the reality of Faith and the connection I have begun to make (or modify) with the concept of Grace.

I haven't just been thinking about faith- i've really been challenged in actually walking in faith. Here I realize that I need grace AND faith. It's a place where "putting feet to my faith" and "walking in grace" meet and it's not just about asking for faith, or asking for grace.

I'm convinced that all too often we associate grace as something we decide we need in a circumstance hoping it will "get better" and we associate faith as hope that it WILL "get better." I think we have it all backwards or at least far too compartmentalized!

Today, i need grace to stand in faith; and I most certainly need faith to walk in grace.
Today, i can't just think about faith and grace, but i have to live faith and grace.

My challenge today is to meditate on my use of faith IN grace. I don't just have faith that my circumstance will get better, I walk by grace in faith that it's already taken care of!

Best of all, everything is so that God can show his glory. I'm so comforted by that. God never fails!

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father (John 14:13)


::meg

1 comment:

Jessie Dennis said...

Wow! That's really good! It's kinda one of those concepts that goes right over my head at first but slowly starts making sense! Totally true about the difference of thinking it and then LIVING it...makes all the difference if you live by faith and grace rather then just thinking ya I have faith...it changes things! I like what you said: I don't just have faith that my circumstance will get better, I walk by grace in faith that it's already taken care of!" Very encouraging...thank you!