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I am called to lead people to Christ not myself. I am not to be the stopping point, which often times people seek when they do not know their inherent value and beauty in Christ. They rely on others and things of this world to lean against for value, which leads to anxiety and depression, as these things are fleeting, fickle, mercurial, and always in a state of flux. These things are not a permanent fix. Becoming a woman of everyday grace is to be anchored into a solid daily foundation and mindset of faith in Christ.
Growing strong, spiritual growth in Christ, striving to achieve spiritual maturity takes time and investment in studying the Bible. This quest, this attainment to live Christ’s truth as best as I can causes me to create a more streamlined, more finely hewed, more precise focus on what is truly adding to my quality of life and what does not. In my Christian growth, I’m not called to live according to someone’s perception of truth no matter how beautifully cloaked in compassion and morality. “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood,” 1 John 4:6.
And recently, I’ve had three staggering and uncomfortable life challenges, persons and situations, combust within a two week period that have reminded me to walk the walk of which I talk – operating in the strength of Christ not my own and finding joy, peace, and wisdom in Christ, to say the least. I recently experienced one of the most uncomfortable, awkward situations ever imposed upon me by another person. It required me to pull from the grace and strength of Christ because without him, I would not have been able to remain tethered to a solid place knowing Jesus had my back.
These situations not only remind me of my own humanity and shortcomings but also remind me to employ all the best knowledge I have about my beautiful Christ to determine my direction, thinking, and assessment. I can get only that kind of excellence of knowledge from focusing on studying Christ not celebrities or social media feeds.
And it’s one thing to thoughtfully process a negative situation, examine it, and try to make sense of it, as well as strive toward a solution. It’s quite another to keep entertaining it for negative or demeaning purposes. I strive not to do the latter. If I keep focused on negative thoughts, it serves only to demonstrate that I don’t trust Jesus enough to help me. Trusting Christ releases me from the burden of negative thinking and influence of others and from my own negative thinking.
It’s one thing to speak the truth of the Gospel and proclaim its benefits; it’s another to truly walk it and truly trust in Christ and those benefits. So, I found myself casting negative thinking to the throne of Christ as 2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs me, “I demolish arguments and every pretense that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and I take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Sometimes I have to do that several times a day.
Staying focused and anchored as a woman of God is what I am called to do. Not daily silliness, artifice, and disregard for Christ. So, you’ll find me here on my blog striving to share my walk in Christ, as I, from time to time, negotiate difficult circumstances and people or just every day life. Jesus never said it would be easy, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,” John 16:33. And as a woman of God, He equips me to handle tough situations while I strive to be a woman of every day grace and wisdom.
Noel