I was pondering this morning about where I have come in life. It is easy to avoid self-reflection in this high tech world of distractions. Incoming text messages, emails, voice mails, television, the old X-Box or PlayStation; all of these fill our days with activity.
This is not even bringing into the conversation, the daily stresses that grind us down; studying for that long delayed online degree, maintenance on our aging transportation, mowing the lawn, worrying about the budget. Will our paycheck last til the end of the month? Will the Ebola virus migrate to MY community? Will ISIS begin attacks right here in America?
We are all filled with stress and distractions that can easily take our attention off of the most important things in life. How solid is my relationship with Christ? When was the last time I just sat down and had a talk with Him? How much does He have to do to get my attention?
I remember when I was a child, there was a plaque hanging on the wall in our living room that boldly stated:
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Then we begin to wonder if we are “falling down on the job”, so to speak. It is easy to get all wound up in guilt, condemnation, and shame. After all, we fail just about every day. We find ourselves doing what we know we should not do, and failing to do the good things we know we should. Like Paul we may lament, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
But there is good news in the scripture. Romans 9:16 reminds us that our future doesn’t depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. I am so grateful I have an abundantly merciful, forgiving God.
Romans 12:1 reminds us what our response should be to God’s great mercy towards us. The sacrifice of our lives is our reasonable service.
When we stop and ponder each of our sins being pounded into the hands and feet of our Savior, his agony on the cross as our sins choke the breath from His lungs, and His willing sacrifice of Himself so WE wouldn’t have to pay the penalty for our own sins, how can we not fall at His feet in gratefulness?
We, who deserve Hell, receive mercies every day as a result of Calvary.
Do we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice? We are not being asked to die for Him, (yet) but we are asked to LIVE for Him.
With grateful hearts for his even greater MERCY, let us resolve, this day, to LIVE for Christ.
