a 'black or white' person.
I am sometimes guilty of making a strong sweeping decision and declaring it boldly! On MONDAY, this diet is going to swing into full speed ahead, only to find that by Wednesday, (or Tuesday) there have already been stumbles.
or...
I am NEVER going to do or say THAT again, or...
You get the idea.
My daughter sent this from her devotional the other day, thoughts by Paul Tripp, which I hope he doesn't mind me quoting. It is pretty awesome...
He was writing on New Years Resolutions, but the same principle applies to ALL of our big self made declarations of change.
"Can be I honest with you? I think your New Year’s resolution isn’t going to be as effective as you hope it will, if it works at all.
Is change important? Absolutely. Is commitment essential? Of course. Is improving your lifestyle a wise decision? Without a doubt. So I don’t want to discourage you from writing or keeping a New Year’s resolution, but I do want to challenge the way you think about biblical change.
You see, Christianity – which has the gospel of Jesus Christ at the center – simply doesn’t rest its hope in big, dramatic moments of change. The fact of the matter is this: the transforming work of grace operates in 10,000 little moments more than it does in a series of two or three life-altering events.
In other words, the character and quality of your life won’t be defined by two or three life-changing moments. No, the character and quality of your life will be defined by the 10,000 little decisions, desires, words, and actions you make every day.
How you can you be a better you in 2015? Confess in 10,000 little moments of conviction. Be courageous in 10,000 little moments of faith. Obey in 10,000 little moments of decisions. Choose the kingdom over God over the kingdom of self in 10,000 little moments of desire.
You don’t need a big resolution to change your life, because your life isn’t established in big moments. Your life is established in 10,000 little moments, and Jesus Christ is present and active in all those moments. In these small, seemingly insignificant moments, he’s delivering every redemptive promise he has made to you. In these 10,000 little moments, the Lord is working to rescue you from you and transform you into his likeness.
By sovereign grace, God places you in 10,000 little moments that are designed to take you beyond your character, wisdom, and grace so that you'll seek the help and hope that can only be found in him. In a lifelong process of change, he is undoing you and rebuilding you again - exactly what each one of us needs!"
Those words really hit my heart, for me. I think you might feel the same. It's one step at a time, one thought, one decision, not one big declaration of all that we are GOING to do. Our slates are wiped clean when we accept Him, but the ongoing process includes 10,000 choices on our part, every day.
I love that! God's grace is there for every one of the 10,000 and more.
(image courtesty of Google)
20 comments:
So thankful for His grace !!!
Great truth.
THANKS.
Great truth.
THANKS.
This is so helpful! As I was reading his words, I was thinking 'one choice at a time'. Good truth for each day in 2015 and every year Sonja.
Happy New Year!
Love you,
Debbie
This is so true, it's a lifetime of choices that changes us and make us more like him. I'm glad too that his grace is there for all of those moments
I was walking this morning, thinking about how merciful God has been to me, in my life. I was reminded by that man who owed so much and was forgiven his debt, but didn't show it to the man who owed him. I can never hope for change, unless that it is Jesus who is doing the changing. I love this post and I too am thankful for God who never leaves us as we are but is always about changing us day to day. Speaking of that, I did marriage counseling, what I found is that marriages just don't end one day, they too end by the tiny little bits that go on day by day. It is in those little choices.
I know all too well about "good intentions" and GGA (Goals Gone Awol). This is such an encouragement. Baby steps can lead to some amazing feats if I'd be satisfied with them instead of giant leaps.
Hugs,
Kathleen
Oh I LOVED this. Such truth here and I love the way he wrote that. It's all those little decisions and choices and actions that end up defining who we are. Thanks for posting this!
Great post for the beginning of this new year and such truth.Thanks for sharing, very inspirational!
Choosing God in every single moment - sounds easy, but it's sometimes really hard to do. But oh, the rewards if we do.
The great faith adventure happens one step at a time. And when we walk with the Lord, those steps become a whole lot easier!!
Me? Black-and-white? NEVER! (Which is, of course, a black-and-white statement!!)
GOD BLESS!
I love baby steps. Thank you for these good words.
His grace - like His mercies are new every morning and it's morning somewhere every moment of every day! I fit the "B&W" blog quite well. Many blessings!
Oh my friend, I SO UNDERSTAND! To live in black and white is not only boring and one-sided, but not living in a way to see truth, right? There are so many fine lines, so fine that we can't define them. All we can do is live according to the law of love.
Sonja, thank you for visiting. I am still active in Blogland, I will not delete my blog, but I have to put my time into my private writings. In the meantime, LIVE IN COLOR! Anita
My 86 year old Daddy says if we're living the way we're supposed to be living, there's no need for resolutions, new year's or otherwise. I tend to give people more than their due and end up getting slammed for my efforts. Being a Christian is not only a full time job, it's hard work...or so it is for me.
Amen, Amen,Amen..this is right where I am this year. I wished the changes would come in one big sweep, but they won't, and they didn't get where they are in one big sweep...little daily steps. For me it is in the mind first that will affect my heart.
Good post..thanks!!!
I am often surrounded by tiny ones in my life right now. I watch them learning to take steps and quite often it reminds me of me, in my life. Tiny steps forward, one step at a time, falling sometimes in between, and sometimes not. This is a great post! Reminds me of a book I read by Chuck Swindoll, "One Step Forward and Two Steps Back". I am so thankful for God's amazing grace with each one of us, in each of our 10,000 or more steps. Thanks for sharing!
You don’t need a big resolution to change your life, because your life isn’t established in big moments. ---this just pretty sums up everything we need to know about making it this 2015. Great things and memories are found in small often looked over moments in our every day. Small gestures turn to habits which eventually becomes our way of life. So wise of Mr. Tripp.
Thanks to you and your daughter for sharing. :)
May 2015 be your best year yet.
I love this too! I often feel like my life's journey could best be described like the title of one of Chuck Swindoll's books, "Two Steps Forward and Two steps Back". I love God's amazing grace, and how He leads me through every one of those 10,000 steps, even when I don't have the strength to take one:) So beautifully shared today, especially when I tend to be the black and white person you alluded to.
Sonja, I cannot believe that I had already commented on this and with some of the same thoughts. Oh dear, I guess you will find this to be true as I travel further into my sixties:) You can delete this one from your blog comments, and then hopefully you will fall on your knees and pray for me:) Please do!!!
My name is Tanisha, i want to thank my friend for showing me the way to Berit Magical Temple where all my sorrow was turn to joy. I was in a relationship for 12 years and suddenly a mistake came into it from my side, i could not conceive any baby but i tried to beg my man telling him that every thing will be alright but he refuse to listen and he left me for another woman every day i cry for for thing to change but no change. Until my friend told me about a spell caster that help her when she was having the same problem like mine, but i did not believed in her, cause i don't also believe spell caster until i choose to accepted it. This woman told me what i need to do, so that my man will come and i will conceive a child after doing them my man came back to me to apologize the way this spell caster told me and am five months pregnant now and we are both happy now. I am using this opportunity to inform you all that this is the greatest thing that have ever happen to us. contact and trust in her cause, with her all your problems will solve, please contact the great woman through his email address: beritmagicaltemple@gmail.com
Post a Comment