Honest Answer

Last week, I posted a rather serious post. It came with grace and love and truth. I would guess that it probably had quite a sting that came along with it.

If you felt that sting, I am very glad. That is the Holy Spirit working within you. Listen to that sting. But, do more than listen. Let that sting and others like it lead you to seek God. In your seeking let obedience be a manifestation of His grace.

It's time for an honest answer. I don't have to share it with you, but I want to.

That post I made last week is basically a glimpse into what I live for. I know that truth. It is deep within my soul. It is on my mind daily. And yet, it is the thing that helps me see my sin the clearest.

I do not live, I have not been living my life in a way that cultivates a spirit of dependence on and joy in God in my own life as well as in the lives of those around me.

Okay, I said it.

I live in a state of pride and arrogance. I have a soul that is easily disturbed. I am prone to serious attitudes of gloom.

YET, God. God is at work. God has saved me and He has labored much and often in my soul. He is making me more like Jesus with every passing season. That is where the joy that usually comes through me comes from. That is where the part of me that people like and enjoy and admire comes from.

That is where my hope lies. Knowing all of that, I labor, I press on, I seek Him all that much more that His work may not be hindered.

Oh, how far short I fall. But, oh how sufficient His grace is!

If you answered last week's question with a no, do not be discouraged. Let it be a reminder of your desperate need for Jesus Christ. Let it be a reminder of the grace you have received, the grace that has made you new. Let it be a reminder of the work that God has done, is doing, and will continue to do.

With your mind fully set on God and fully guarded by His peace, the answer will soon be yes.