Finding Favour

The beauty of God’s favour in our lives must sting at times. “Oh wretched man that I am who will deliver me from the body of death?” Even as self-proclaimed Christians we must understand that this war is fierce.  In any time of crisis there is much to do about helping those in need with people standing up and looking to be recognized, so that they can say they have contributed to the cause feeling better about themselves, and praise from others is always welcomed. This is an inherited trait alive in all of us. We single out the good and look to stand with them. We are quick to put up our hands just as long as the cost is bearable. I need you to mull over that for a minute or so and arrive at you own synopsis…

Ok, let’s move on…

I know it is much easier to align my purpose with like-minded individuals. “Birds of a feather flock together”. But how far are we willing to go if and when the cost is unbearable? When the odds are stacked against us to the extent that it becomes impossible to complete. Breaching the gates into heaven is an impossible quest when we look to ourselves to somehow achieve the objective. I really need us to spend some time here as we reflect on our own efforts to find favour with God. What is your go to action that makes you feel better about yourself? Is it an action that you know others will notice or do you really just get on with it, regardless of the opinion of others? I am convinced not many fall into the latter category. We all need our egos stroked in one form or another, it’s who we are.

But until we learn the better way, we will continually hit a wall, a dead end to the quest of heaven with all its glory will remain a figment of our imaginations. We must stop trying to window dress our lives for the sake of others; that approach is nothing more than a decoy looking to deceive. The sooner we are truthful about the pride of our sin, whatever that maybe, the freer we will find our walks in Christ to be. Justification is one of the vilest of sins. Whenever we find reason to excuse our behaviour whilst accusing others we will remain trapped and of this I am persuaded. Deception is a way of life and we are taught to feed it from a young age. Makeup hides the blemishes on ones face. Why is it a billion dollar industry? Our hearts are desperately wicked and until we see them for what they are we will miss the ultimate goal; finding adoption into the household of God. It’s only the faithful that will enter in.

Just like the words of Jacob, when he said “my brothers meant it for evil but God meant it for good” so too although Satan meant sin for evil God has turned it for good in the sense that it’s our sin that gets us to the place that we understand the gravity of it and therefore call out to be saved, but call we must. Have you ever seen someone call out for help when they believed they haven’t needed it? But put someone in a place where death knocks and then see their rapid response to call out. Although sin is the enemy it should bring an individual to their senses. This is where the sinner calls out to Jesus to be saved. This is what is known as the born again experience.

That is all good and well, like Malcolm Harris recently reminded me, it is one thing to be touched by Christ and to receive partial sight, like the blind man that saw men like trees walking. We must be honest with our retort when asked, “What do you see?” This man had been touched by the Lord, he was no longer blind, per se, he could partially see. When we hide our sin, we only ever deceive ourselves and even others for a time, but never the Lord. The sooner we come to grips and see ourselves for who we are the more proactive we will become in looking to Jesus to find grace in time of need to glorify our Father in heaven and be about His will in every area of our lives. Until then we will look for greater truths behind God’s curtain and only ever see shapes instead of precision.

Father God bring all of your children to their senses is my prayer and help us understand the gravity of our sin, however obscure it has become. Repair that which the cankerworm has eaten, renew a right spirit in us so that we can all be about your will and not our wants. The hot iron that has deadened our consciences need to be switched off.  

Signing off

Tyrone