Saturday, December 10, 2011

Love: Forever His

"But as for you Isreal, my servant, Jacob, my chosen one, my friend, I have called you back from the ends of the earth saying "you are my servant." For I have chosen you and I will not throw you away." 
-Isaiah 41: 8&9

How many times in this walk of faith do we expect perfection out of ourselves? I know there are times when I do. All I want to do is make Jesus proud. I just want to show him I love him. And somewhere along this road of trying to please him, I get caught up in the attempt of perfection. Somehow, I forget the truth that perfection is not obtainable. So, when I fall or fail, it hits me hard. It hits me so hard, that I find myself not being able to forgive myself. Even when I know Jesus has forgiven me, I dont think I'm worthy of that forgiveness. What kind of mindset is that? 

Jesus doesnt expect perfection out of us. If we were perfect, God wouldnt have had to send his perfect son Jesus. He could have used one of us as a sacrifice. But no one was perfect. And Jesus came and died so that by accepting his sacrifice, we would be made perfect in the sight of God. There is nothing I could do to make God see me as anything more or less than Jesus. How amazing is that? 

Sometimes I forget this though. And when my faith isnt as strong as it should be, or when I get caught up in the ways of this world, I get so disappointed in myself that I start to distance myself. My mindset tells me that because I have failed him, I cant be used by him. And as I give into this false mindset, I start to fall away from his heart. I start to feel like I cant be used. That I cant be worthy of being called His own. 

But then, God picks me up the moment I start falling away. He reminds me of a little thing called grace. And that because of that grace, he doesnt require perfection of us, he only requires that we love him with everything that we are. With all of our minds, all of our heart, and all of our strength. When we love Him in this way, we are made right. We are clothed in righteousness. We are made perfect in his eyes. And by loving him fully, we are able to live a life that pleases him. Not a perfect one, but one that uses every moment to love Jesus more than you did the day before. One that is sensitive and obedient to the Holy Spirit. A life that bows in awe at the sound of his name. One that delights in who he is. One that honors him and represents him. 

And so, Isaiah 41 spoke to me this morning while I was feeling unworthy in the way I explained above:

"But as for you Isreal, my servant, Jacob, my chosen one, my friend, I have called you back from the ends of the earth saying "you are my servant." For I have chosen you and I will not throw you away." 

This is God. This is Jesus. This is Grace. He calls us from the place we've wandered to. "The ends of the earth". It doesnt matter where we are, how far weve been away, he is still calling us back. He calls you his servant, his chosen one, his friend. And how does he get our attention from this far away place we have wandered to? He calls us by name, saying "you are my servant." He tells us the way he has claimed us, he tells us that no matter how far weve wandered, he still sees us the same way he saw us the day he saved us: as his servant. He chose us. And even though we may stray, even though we mess up, He wants us back. He wont throw us away. We are still able to be used by him. We are still His

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