Belief and Behavior…Transformed by Christ!

Yesterday, I proclaimed that my strength and energy comes from within…from Jesus Christ, my Savior and my Lord. Then, later in the day I must confess to two panic attacks, so bad, I had to leave the grocery store, battle it through prayer, catch my breath again, and then get back to the chores of the day. My mind was thinking beyond what really was true, which cause my heart to be troubled and beat faster than it should. We, even as believers, are all a mess from time to time. But remember, when it happens, to immediately turn to God, focus on His patient love and mercy for us, and embrace the grace He has for us.

Paul explains this so well….

Ephesians 2, The Message

1-6 It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

What do we learn?
–HE is GOD and we are not. We cannot save ourselves or anyone else.
–Only Jesus saves.
–God embraces our mess, takes all our sin, and makes us alive in Christ…with NO help from us. What a relief, actually.
–We are in company with Jesus, our Messiah! Jesus, our Perfect Redeemer, Teacher, Savior, and Lord of our lives! Can we wrap our minds around just that? In the company of Jesus?
–It is God’s desire to shower us with His love, grace and kindness!
–Cry out to Him when the attacks come and then let God take over and win the battle for You…from the inside out.

Dear Heavenly Father, We are far from perfect as we honestly and humbly bow before You. We need You every hour. You allow us to go through deep waters to cleanse us and make us whole, while reminding us You Alone are in control of all things. You are Creator and we are merely the created who lift our eyes to You, depend on You, trust in You. Thank you for mopping up our mess and transforming our hearts, minds and souls. Continue to do what You must…but do it gently. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen

“If your heart is broken, you’ll find Yahweh right there;
if you are kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.
Disciples so often get into trouble; still, Yahweh is there every time.” Psalm 34, The Message