At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
This reading is teaching me to remember where I came from and what He did, not what I did. We all have a testimony, a story that shows how God takes a sinner like me and washes us clean by our Lord's sacrifice on the cross. God saw how evil and disgusting our hearts and minds were but yet still chose to sacrifice His Son for our sake. This unconditional love that God blessed us with needs to be given onto others by us. There's going to be a lot of people we run into that's so undeserving of our best but, as God did for us, we cannot focus on their circumstances but instead who God created them to be.
I recently asked someone to see Jesus in each person you meet. It's hard because you see all the junk that has surrounded them over the years; poverty, addition, anger... just to name a few. But who are they? They are our neighbors that have gone through some rough times. But we need to see them as people who God loves and desires for them to be have a relationship just like us. And the really enlightening thing here is... that person may be more in tune with Jesus than we are! God may have clearly touched and fellowshiped with these servants and have chosen to live with less (but more really). We can never go into a situation with the assumptions based off of circumstances rather direction stemming from the Spirit of God.
Father God, thank You for loving the undeserving. I'm reflecting today how nothing I do can ever earn my way into heaven. I can be the most giving and generous person in the world but that won't be good enough. But You, in Your white robes chose a rotten dirty sinner like me to share in Your kingdom. How amazing is that?! Thank You for loving me the way a father loves his child; unconditionally. In Your amazing grace I pray Father God, Amen!
Titus 3:3-5
This reading is teaching me to remember where I came from and what He did, not what I did. We all have a testimony, a story that shows how God takes a sinner like me and washes us clean by our Lord's sacrifice on the cross. God saw how evil and disgusting our hearts and minds were but yet still chose to sacrifice His Son for our sake. This unconditional love that God blessed us with needs to be given onto others by us. There's going to be a lot of people we run into that's so undeserving of our best but, as God did for us, we cannot focus on their circumstances but instead who God created them to be.
I recently asked someone to see Jesus in each person you meet. It's hard because you see all the junk that has surrounded them over the years; poverty, addition, anger... just to name a few. But who are they? They are our neighbors that have gone through some rough times. But we need to see them as people who God loves and desires for them to be have a relationship just like us. And the really enlightening thing here is... that person may be more in tune with Jesus than we are! God may have clearly touched and fellowshiped with these servants and have chosen to live with less (but more really). We can never go into a situation with the assumptions based off of circumstances rather direction stemming from the Spirit of God.
Father God, thank You for loving the undeserving. I'm reflecting today how nothing I do can ever earn my way into heaven. I can be the most giving and generous person in the world but that won't be good enough. But You, in Your white robes chose a rotten dirty sinner like me to share in Your kingdom. How amazing is that?! Thank You for loving me the way a father loves his child; unconditionally. In Your amazing grace I pray Father God, Amen!
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