I was relaxing today when my husband came in and asked if I'd like to listen to a talk with him. His Grace Is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox. I'd heard it before and remembered the impact it had on me so I said, "Of course!"
In the talk, Brad Wilcox talks about how Christ's arrangement with us is similar to a mother who pays for piano lessons for her child.
"Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the child's practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the child's practice repay MOm for paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for Mom's incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Mom's joy is found not in getting repaid but in seeing her gift used-- seeing her child improve. And so she continues to call for practice, practice, practice.
In the same way, because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and say, 'Follow me.'"
Don't give up on yourself just because you're not perfect. I fall, I sin, I am weak. I am not a Christian because I am perfect at following Christ 100% of the time, I am a Christian because I keep trying. Because I rely on Him.
"Grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is received right here and now."
I'm trying harder to give everything over to Christ. To serve Him as he would have me serve. We don't have to wait until we hit rock bottom to turn to Christ, he can be with us every step of the way.
This is beautiful! I love that quote from Nelson Mandela and now I want to go listen to the talk by Brad Wilcox. Thank you for sharing!
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