If Grace is True

So I'm rereading this wonderful book called, "If Grace is True" by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland. It's an interesting little book and will gently shake the foundations of your faith. I read it about twice a year and each time I've reexamined what it is that I hold true. The next few postings will probably be inspired from what I'm reading.

I become so intrigued by believers who feel like they have all the answers. I'm sorry, but I feel a little uneasy about a 20 year old telling me that they know all the answers. No but seriously, I can't imagine how constricted they must feel at times, how small and black and white life must look. I'm not trying to point fingers and to criticize, I've been there. I referred to scripture for everything, I prayed about everything, and judged everything/everyone to either be right or wrong. *Disclaimer: I'm not saying that referring to scripture, praying, or judgment is wrong. But I do believe that when you make that your entire spiritual life or life in general, when you limit yourself to experiencing God in only those ways, you are restricting yourself from the fullness of God.

We (Christians) are so quick to carve our beliefs into stone, the initial experiences we have become what everything needs to measure up to, becomes our law that we judge everything according to. We are so focused on the prize to be won (salvation) and getting others on board with us that we miss out on the real gift of grace, being thankful that its already been given to us. Christ is radical and came to bring a radical message, "Love and I'll take care of the rest." Love is a broad word. It doesn't map out for us how we should go about doing that, he just says to love. That's kind of uneasy for many of us, it puts us in a vulnerable place, especially those of us(I'll be the first to identify in this way) who need to know the expectations and the rules.

It takes powerful experiences to soften the heart and mind to be molded in new ways. That means that sometimes we are going to feel lost, out of our comfort zone, we are going to meet people who aren't like us, it means we are going to make many different types of decisions and experience a very colorful life. And God forbid it might even mean that we change our minds about certain things we held so tightly to be true.

Thank God for Grace.