... And Don't Fumble It

One has to be careful what with they "speak into existence" (or type as the case may be). Yesterday, we talked about portraying Christ, to a lost and dying world, appropriate for #missionsFriday.

What I didn't see coming, were the events that were about to unfold less than 30 minutes after clicking "publish". The event that started it all was frustrating enough. The kindness of a few. The next two people involved weren't "helpful" in the way you would expect people in those positions to be and we'll leave it at that. The next person involved is when I fumbled the ball... the moment, where if they knew or had an inclination that I was a Christian... well, suffice to say, I'm pretty sure I didn't come across as one.

Frustration, rather than faith, had taken a controlling interest in expressing my emotions. I wasn't it around when the last two persons got involved. I'm told it was probably all for the better, as one of them wasn't cool-headed. Not a good combination if someone got the impression I wasn't either.

Say all that to say...

Just because Christians are sinners saved by grace, doesn't mean we aren't one step away from falling far short of grace.

Narrow roads = close edges. So the message bears repeating.

Sinners saved by grace are just one step away from falling far short of grace, at any given moment.

That's also about the time people run out of having grace and patience with us. Which is how situations escalate... or have the potential to do so, which can cause people to make preemptive decisions based on perceived outcomes... even if perception has no chance of coming reality.

The message of Christ is strong and powerful, yet must be handle with care. Why? Because we are dealing with broken people, with wounded souls, damaged emotions, less than honorable thoughts and intentions and hearts with holes prone to fear and hesitant to trust.

Meanwhile the saved, are still works in progress. So our brokenness, wounds, damages, and out of line thoughts and intentions, not mention fears and trust-issues and you have a recipe for a less than pleasant interaction rather than one in which God is glorified.

Thus, on this #communityFriday, pray as I did yesterday, for forgiveness for times we fumble the message of Christ. May the power of the Holy Spirit transcend situations of mounting frustration, to work in the hearts and lives of both sinners and saved sinners. May the grace we have received from God be the grace we share with others, despite our feelings of the moment. Pray the church seek, in a greater dimension, to be used of God and influenced by the Spirit and resist the urge and opportunity for our flesh to come forth as if Christ has changed nothing in us.

God we need your help... starting with me. More like you today, than I was yesterday morning.

- PNC

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