Undeserved

A question came up in our Ladies Bible Study, "Grace is God's undeserved favor toward us, in which He withholds what we deserve and gives us what we do not deserve.  How can you demonstrate this same attitude toward others?"  I came up with the usual answers, kindness, forgiveness, patience, mercy, overlook failures and shortcomings.  But God had a different answer in mind, one that includes all those but shines the light on Him and not on me trying to do better. 

The words spoken by John the Baptist rose up in my heart. "He must increase, but I must decrease."    John 3:30

Demonstrating the attitude God has toward me to others is not about a check list of dos and donts.  It's about allowing God to manifest Himself so much in us that He increases and our selfish, self-righteous tendencies decrease.  

I want my way.  I want such and such done my way.  I am right, you are wrong.  You failed me.  You hurt me.  Do all these sound familiar?  They do to me.  And these are the things that need to fade from our hearts, minds, behaviors and life.  These can be special sticking points in families.  Me and my husband have very different ways of doing things, seeing things and understanding things.  So often that gets my temper flaring.  Instead of allowing for grace, I complain that something is not being done the way I would do it.  That is me "increasing" and God "decreasing."

This is eye-opening for me.  When in obedience and submission to the Lord, we lay down our need for being right and having our own way, God increases in us.  He is manifested in us and will be seen clearly by those around us.  If Jesus could humble Himself to die on the Cross for us, we can humble ourselves (through the power of the Holy Spirit, staying connected to our Lord) to share with others the love and grace God has shared with us.  

There's a verse I read last night that has always been one of my favorites. John 14:23 3 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.   Equally a favorite is John 14:21 hose who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Both these show the Lord increasing in our lives, revealing Himself in us and through us.  I believe staying connected to Him is the key.  John 15:5 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

My thought is if we can memorize one verse and repeat it to ourselves multiple times a day (I'm thinking of myself here now. lol), we will see God increase in our lives.  The Lord's Presence will shine from us like the light of a new day, increasing and increasing til it shines like the noon day sun.   That verse is James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  It's the perfect verse for just about anything we encounter, and it's short enough to be easily memorized.  A lot of us know it already.  Lord, shine though us!!  

Lord, increase in us.  My prayer is that people see You and not me in everything I do. Lord help me to remember this and put it into practice every moment.   It's in Jesus Name I pray.  Amen 

Proverbs 4:18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.