Courage or Shame - Your Choice


Does it ever seem like the easiest thing on earth takes the most courage to do?! Truly, having faith and believing in Jesus and His love for us, is SO easy – yet the hardest thing to do and accept for so many of us!

1 John 2:28 (NLT) And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when He returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from Him in shame.

Well, this is something I am sure ALL of us can relate to! There was a bit of a MEF (mind’s eye flash) with this verse.

Seeing people coming to Jesus. Some are running towards Him with excitement and joy, peaceful faces, bright shining eyes, love exploding from every part of them. Other people are hanging back, heads tilted down, eyes looking away from His welcoming. Shame, regret, remorse… many feelings flooding over and through them as they shrink back even though the want to inch their way towards Him. Then, the most amazing thing happens – He moves TOWARDS them! One by one, He opens up His arms and welcomes them to Him with a love so bright and warm, they fall apart with tears of acceptance in His embrace. The flood of their shame being washed away and replaced with a deep gratitude that overtakes everything in them! They want to bow in reverence, and serve completely, rejoicing in the total and complete acceptance for where they are right this moment!

So, how do we “remain in fellowship with Christ”? First of all, by building a relationship with Him. Get to know Him. Talk with Him. Read His words. Follow His life in the bible. Do not be afraid of the intimacy, but welcome it. Yes, right now – not waiting for you to “get it all together”, because honestly, THAT day will NEVER come, never! We are human. We have faults and flaws. We are not able to be perfect, no matter how hard we try. We compare ourselves to people here on earth when we should be comparing ourselves to Jesus when He walked here on earth. The ONLY way we can meet God’s standards is to be seen by Him through the lens or filter of Jesus. Which means, we have to be His friend. We have to be a child of God with the Holy Spirit in us. The Holy Spirit is the One who makes us right with God. The Spirit is the one that speaks for us, goes to God on our behalf, interprets our prayers to Him. Yes, just like a best friend, a parent or a spouse, we are to be in this relationship DAILY. Daily we come to our Father in prayer. We are to daily praise Him for who He is and what He has done throughout time. Confess things we have messed up in, sins we have committed, asking for His forgiveness. We daily thank Him for the amazing things He has done in our life, given us, and done for us. We are to pray for ourselves and for others continually. THIS is how we “remain in fellowship with Christ.” This can be short and quick, or long and lengthy. It doesn't matter, just do it daily!

If you are in fellowship with Him right now, then yay!! Keep it up! If you have fallen away from intimate time with Him, and if He were to return right here and now, you’d be ashamed… then STOP, right now, and tell our Father that you are far away from Him and that you want to come back to have fellowship with Him. ASK Him to provide the way – and guess what?! He WILL! The Holy spirit will guide you and draw you closer. Praise God for His forgiveness and His willingness to give 2nd, 3rd, and even gazillionth chances with His loving-kindness and forgiveness. Then, go pick up His word and read something. Then ponder over it and see what the Lord is saying to YOU in in. How it can apply to you and your life right now. Today is the 28th, read Proverbs 28, or Psalm 28. Sit in it and see what there is for YOU in His words.

Oh my dear precious friend!! I am praying for you, for all of us (myself included) that you draw near to Him and allow His forgiveness and love to wash over you in a fresh new way! Be well, be safe, and I KNOW you are going to be blessed today!


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