Day 16: Graced for life

TO BE FORGIVEN OR NOT TO BE FORGIVEN? 

How do you answer this question?

It is a no brainer,

as TO BE FORGIVEN is the obvious answer,

but do you life as FORGIVEN?

Have you FORGIVEN yourself for ______________?

Have you FORGIVEN another for ________________?

Have your FORGIVEN GOD for ______________?

Ouch.

What is UN~FORGIVENESS all about.

UN~MET EXPECTATIONS. 

Have you FORGIVEN

 yourself, or others,

or GOD

 for not meeting your own EXPECTATIONS?

Ouch.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE FORGIVEN?

GOD'S EXPECTATION is for you,

and me and everyone else

TO BE FORGIVEN.

But it doesn't stop there,

for FORGIVENESS is a GIFT to be RECEIVED and PASSED ON.

For JESUS did say on the

SERMON ON THE MOUNT~

"And forgive us our debts,

as we have forgiven our debtors

 [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment]"

(Matthew 6:12).

So what is FORGIVENESS?

GRACE pure GRACE.

But to have a

BE~ATITUDE of GRACE is hard at times,

yet we are INVITED to put into practice

GOD'S GIFT OF GRACE.

For I looked at GRACE right in the face,

in the face of one who didn't understand,

 who didn't hear, see or feel my heart.

I looked at GRACE right in the face.

It is a hard moment

 giving GRACE when GRACE isn't being given back to you,

because they don't understand and they don't know that they are

hurting an overly sensitive heart.

But then again,

 I don't understand

 and

I don't know that I may be hurting an overly sensitive heart.

For I looked at GRACE right in the face when I looked at my face,

because

HE looked at my face when I hurt HIM,

HIS overly sensitive heart

that so LOVES ALL,

that HE smothers ALL with

HIS GRACE.

Is GOD'S GRACE dependent on what

you or I may be feeling or doing?

Nope.

For when we LIVE IN CHRIST,

GOD looks at GRACE first

because it is JESUS who HE sees that is covering us.

GRACE~

a gift that HE freely gives and that HE freely gave when

JESUS became GRACE on the cross.

GRACE~

"Forgive them for they don't know what they do"

 (Luke 23:24).

HIS FORGIVING GRACE

so

I can look at GRACE right in the face and GOD can stare right back at me.

I will look at GRACE when I look at any face,

whether GRACE from another is staring back at me,

because it is

"through CHRIST who strengthens me" 

(Philippians 4:13),

in order for me to not do,

to not say,

 and to not react to the circumstance or

 to the someone or

 to the feelings

where GRACE is no where to be seen heard or felt.

It is by GRACE that I am and that you are saved.

And it is

not by my doing or your doing or someone else's doing,

because HE said,

“MY GRACE is sufficient for you, for MY power is made perfect in weakness…”*

in those moments of great weakness,

of great pain,

of great heartache,

and of great misunderstandings.

"Therefore

I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,

so that CHRIST'S power may rest on me” 

*(2 Corinthians 12:9).

GRACE through FAITH~

I can't produce it

 and you can't produce it,

because it is the Gift of GOD.

A gift is just a gift until it is opened and

worn by the receiver.

GRACE~

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith~

and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of GOD~

not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

TO BE GRACED or NOT TO BE GRACE?

Should this even be a question

for the answer is obvious.

So let's live in the obvious

and

have a

BE~ATITUDE OF GRACE

so that you can lookinto anyone's face,

even your own,

with

 HIS UNDESERVED FAVOR~

"GRACE"

(listen to the song below)